FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who missed the first 10 games of the season after being diagnosed with blood clots in late July, is returning to the non-football illness list, the team announced Thursday.
Barmore, a 2021 second-round pick viewed by the Patriots as a cornerstone to build around, had been activated to the 53-man roster Nov. 16. He played in the past four games, totaling 123 snaps and registering six tackles and one sack.
The Patriots released a statement Thursday saying they made the decision with Barmore "after he experienced some recurring symptoms that required further evaluation."
The team added, "We appreciate everything Christian did to return to the team this season, but our top priority is Christian's health and wellbeing. We know that he will continue to receive tremendous care and we want to ensure that he gets the time he needs to come back stronger than ever."
In April, 6-foot-5, 315-pound Barmore signed a four-year contract extension with a maximum value of $92 million that included $41.8 million in guaranteed money.
After Barmore had participated in the first practice of training camp, the team announced he had been diagnosed with blood clots and treated at Mass General Brigham, saying there was no timetable for his return.
The Patriots (3-11) visit the Bills (11-3) on Sunday.
