The New England Patriots‘ path to a Super Bowl LX victory just got significantly harder. After the team’s head coach, Mike Vrabel, took a sigh of relief over their quarterback, Drake Maye’s full involvement in recent practice sessions, another issue emerged, this time, with the defensive line. According to the final injury report released by the team, their defensive tackle wasn’t able to get back on track before the Super Bowl and is therefore set to miss out on one of the most crucial games of his career.

“DT Joshua Farmer has been downgraded to out for Super Bowl LX,” Patriots’ official X (formerly Twitter) account posted. 

The New England Patriots placed the rookie on injury reserve in late December after he suffered a hamstring injury during the first quarter of their Week 16 game against the Baltimore Ravens, cutting short his contribution late in the regular season. A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 23-year-old appeared in 13 games throughout the season and recorded 15 tackles while carving out a rotational role on the defensive line before the setback.

Injury woes have hampered him all season. Before the hamstring issue, Farmer also dealt with an ankle concern midseason, which caused him to miss a game against the Jets in November and was listed as inactive while working his way back into the lineup. He was later designated to return from IR and practiced during the Patriots’ playoff run, but the lingering hamstring problem ultimately sidelined him and has kept him out of the Super Bowl.

Could this be a major blow for the Patriots’ defense against the Seahawks? Over the course of his rookie campaign, Farmer appeared in 13 games and was credited with 15 total tackles, including seven solo stops, along with one pass breakup and a fumble recovery. This came across roughly 224 defensive snaps before a hamstring injury sidelined him late in the season.

The Patriots will be missing a key rotational piece they secured on a cost-controlled rookie deal, as the fourth-round pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. Farmer signed a four-year rookie contract worth approximately $4.86 million, including a $665,816 signing bonus, carrying a base salary of around $840,000 this season.

With Farmer unavailable for Super Bowl LX, Mike Vrabel could choose to lean more heavily on their interior defensive line depth, including Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, who have served as the primary tackles in the team’s rotation this season. According to the depth chart, Barmore, a former second-round pick and established run-stuffer, has been the anchor at nose tackle, while Williams, a high-paid free-agent acquisition, has picked up significant snaps on the interior alongside him.

Amid several options available, the pressure is on Vrabel to make the right call. This is especially concerning given the team’s other roster issues.

Other injury statuses threaten Mike Vrabel’s chances at the Super Bowl

Besides Joshua Farmer, the latest injury report featured two big names listed as questionable amid ongoing injuries. Linebackers Robert Spillane and Harold Landry III have both battled injuries heading into Super Bowl LX.

Spillane, who suffered an ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game, has been limited in practice this week and listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup, after missing multiple games late in the regular season due to the same issue. Landry, on the other hand, is also dealing with a knee issue sustained in November that caused him to miss several games, including the AFC title game, despite his short return as a limited participant midweek.

“These guys were able to work on Monday and have yesterday off,” Vrabel said at a Wednesday news conference. “Guys are getting together and watching tape. That’s what everyone has to do — make sure they’re ready.”

The limited status could surely impact the team’s strength as the ongoing season saw Spillane appear in 13 games, recording 97 tackles (48 solo) and five passes defensed as the team’s leading tackler when healthy. Landry, the team’s top pass rusher, posted 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 15 games while providing leadership on early downs and third-down pressure. Their status for Super Bowl LX remains questionable, and it could pave the way for others to step up in the biggest game of the year.