The Patriots are going into Week 5 to face off against their toughest opponent of the season so far on Sunday Night Football: the reigning AFC East Champions, the Bills. It is expected to be a good game, one that will allow New England to gauge where they stand as a team, and that will unfortunately come with one starting already being ruled out.
On Saturday afternoon, news broke that starting pass rusher K'Lavon Chaisson would not be on the field on Sunday night, as he is still dealing with a knee injury that kept him away from practice in the days leading up to the game.
That inevitably puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the defensive line, with an emphasis on the other pass rushers that will need to ensure Chaisson's absence is not too apparent, especially when going against a quarterback like Josh Allen and a running back like James Cook.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to remain optimistic about those who will have to step up in Chaisson's place, as they have not been reliable so far through the first month of the season.
DE K’Lavon Chaisson (knee) has been downgraded to out for Sunday night.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 4, 2025
Could thrust Keion White into starting lineup, with Anfernee Jennings and Elijah Ponder also on the depth chart.
Chaisson: 68.3% of defensive snaps, 9 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, also plays on…
The Patriots get hit hard with K'Lavon Chaisson's injury ahead of Sunday Night Football
Despite his slow start in his first season with the Patriots, Chaisson has become a big part of the Patriots' new defense under Mike Vrabel. He has taken on an immediate starting role and is proving exactly why the team signed him, in hopes of earning another contract next offseason.
Because he will miss Sunday's game, others on the roster will have to fill in for him, with the likeliest players being Anfernee Jennings and Keion White. Both have been the subject of trade rumors over the past few months, and for the most part, they haven't helped end that chatter with their early-season performances.
Jennings spent most of the summer on the roster bubble, making it a bit unexpected to see his name on the final 53-man roster. That would likely explain why he hasn't seen the field much this season so far, recording just six combined tackles in three games. However, he will need to step it up in this game, like his 2024 performance, to keep the defense together.
White was mainly in the same shoes as his teammate throughout training camp, although he wasn't involved in trade rumors nearly as much. However, he has found it difficult to fit into Vrabel's new defensive system, recording just four combined tackles in three games, which doesn't bode well for him potentially seeing a bigger role against the Bills.
There's also a chance that undrafted free agent Elijah Ponder could get an opportunity for the game, which seems to be a strong possibility according to several Patriots reporters. It's hard to say how he will fare if that's the case, given that we haven't seen him play for the team just yet. But maybe he could bring the juice that the defense will inevitably be lacking without Chaisson.
It's going to be a tall task for any player expected to take on Chaisson's role in such a significant game in primetime. The Bills won't be an easy one to take down, so hopefully the Patriots will be prepared with their A-game and ready to go.