New England rules out 2 players for Broncos AFC Championship clash
The New England Patriots ruled out two players on Saturday as they prepare for their own the first match of the AFC Championship since 2018road matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET on CBS.
Adam Schefter broke the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, noting the Patriots degraded defensive tackle Joshua Farmer and running back Terrell Jennings heading into the conference title game.
“The Patriots demoted DT Joshua Farmer and RB Terrell Jennings to sit out Sunday’s game,” Schefter wrote.
Farmer, a 23-year-old rookie selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, appeared in 13 games during the regular season. The defensive tackle finished the year with 15 total tackles, including seven solo and eight assisted stops, along with one fumble recovery, one pass defensed and three passes for two yards. Farmer provided rotation depth along New England’s interior defensive line and saw increased snaps during the second half of the season.
The Patriots are dealing with roster setbacks ahead of the AFC Championship game against the Broncos
Jennings, a 24-year-old second-year running back, appeared in seven games during the regular season and was primarily a backup in the Patriots’ backfield. He finished the year with 23 carries for 73 yards, an average of 3.2 yards per attempt, and scored the first touchdown of his NFL career. His absence further thins out a New England rushing group that has relied on contributions from the board all season.
The Patriots did not announce the corresponding roster moves on Saturday. New England enters the AFC Championship Game with the goal of returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2018 season, when they ended their championship streak with a win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Denver hosts the matchup after securing home field advantage, setting up a high-stakes matchup between two teams that navigated uneven stretches during the regular season before making the playoffs. New England will look to overcome late injury setbacks as they attempt to advance to the Super Bowl.
2026-01-24 18:30:00
