Patriots Offensive Line Takes Another Hit as Center Ted Karras Reportedly Suffered MCL Sprain

The New England Patriots no longer look like the unbeatable force they were throughout the first half of the year, having now dropped two of their last four games.

The absolute last thing the Patriots needed was for things to get more difficult for Tom Brady under center, but that may just be what happened as a result of an injury on Sunday night.

Per Ian Rapoport, center Ted Karras is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain during Sunday's loss to the Texans. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

#Patriots C Ted Karras is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain last night, source said, based on the initial tests. He’ll have an MRI today, but at first glance, the hope is that it’s something he can return from. The way he’s played, that would be big.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 2, 2019

The injury certainly could have been a lot worse, and Rapoport reports that the team is hopeful Karras will be able to return this season.

Karras, 26, had featured in 100% of the Patriots' snaps in 2019 prior to Sunday's game. The former sixth-round pick stepped into the starting role after David Andrews was ruled out for the season.

#Patriots injury update: Ted Karras (knee) will not return.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 2, 2019

In Karras' stead, backup James Ferentz is anticipated to take over as the team's starting center.

Ferentz, an Iowa product, has featured in 11 games this year, logging just one start. He went undrafted in 2014 before joining the Texans and got his first taste of NFL action in 2015 with the Broncos, before eventually latching on with New England in 2018.

Hopefully he'll be able to offer some protection in the trenches as the Pats offense has been rather stagnant of late.