It was a disappointing start to the season for the New England Patriots falling flat at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the process, the Patriots saw starting linebacker Dont'a Hightower suffer a knee injury during the loss. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the injury to the 27-year-old is believed just a minor MCL sprain.
#Patriots LB Dont'a Hightower is believed to have suffered a minor MCL sprain vs KC, I'm told. With the long break, could actually play W2.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2017
Given the nature of how the injury occurred as his leg was rolled up upon by Chiefs offensive lineman Mitch Morse. It may have easily been much worse as he could have suffered a season-ending ailment.
Scary moment as Patriots LB Dont'a Hightower gets his leg rolled up. He was able to walk off the field. pic.twitter.com/z46Q5UOwAE
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) September 8, 2017
That said, there were some positive signs after it happened as he was able to walk off the field under his own power. He was also seen riding a stationary bike on the sidelines despite not being able to return to the game likely due to precautionary reasons.
What also may work in the Patriots' favor is that there is a 10-day gap until their next game in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 17. This should provide him enough time to get ready to get medically cleared to play.
In his first five seasons, Hightower has been a source of reliability for the Patriots defensively. However, he has only played in all 16 regular season games once in his brief career.
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