New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis showed up late for work on Tuesday and coach Bill Belichick promptly sent him home, The Boston Globe reported.
When Revis did not arrive on time for a 7:30 a.m. meeting, Belichick wouldn’t allow him to participate in practice. A day later, Revis wouldn’t discuss the reason for his absence.
“Between me and coach,” Revis told reporters on Wednesday. “Talk to him about it.”
The report indicated that Revis acknowledged his mistake and was back at practice the next day.
It’s not the first time that Belichick sent a star player home. He has taken similar disciplinary action with others, including former wide receiver Randy Moss and linebacker Brandon Spikes.
Revis, who is in his first season with the Patriots after seven years with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is not expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.
DE Jones out for a month
Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones will miss about one month because of a hip injury, the Globe reported Tuesday.
Jones sat out practice Tuesday, four days after playing in the Patriots’ 27-25 win over the New York Jets.
Through the season’s first seven games, Jones has a team-high 4 1/2 sacks. He also has 21 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Jones scored a touchdown by blocking a field-goal attempt and taking the ball to the end zone.
New England is set to sign free agent defensive lineman Alan Branch, the Globe reported. Branch, 29, was released by the Bills before the season. He played all 16 games last season for Buffalo and made 13 starts. He recorded 39 tackles.
Branch previously played for the Arizona Cardinals (2007-10) and the Seattle Seahawks (2011-12).
Jones’ injury further hampers a New England defense that previously lost linebacker Jerod Mayo for the season with a knee injury. In an attempt to fill the void, the Patriots added to their linebacking corps on Tuesday in a trade with the Tennessee Titans for Akeem Ayers, NFL.com reported.
The deal, which is contingent upon Ayers passing a physical, includes the Patriots giving up a sixth-round draft choice to the Titans for Ayers and Tennessee’s seventh-round pick.
Ayers, 25, had two knee surgeries during the offseason and was active in just two games and played only 10 snaps for the Titans this season. He also struggled in 2013, finishing the season with only 49 tackles and a sack after posting 104 tackles and six sacks in 2012.
Patriots officially acquire Ayers
The Patriots officially acquired linebacker Akeem Ayers on Wednesday in a trade with the Tennessee Titans.
Trade terms were not disclosed, but it was reported Tuesday that the trade includes the Patriots giving up a sixth-round draft choice to the Titans for Ayers and Tennessee’s seventh-round pick.
Ayers, 25, had two knee surgeries during the offseason and was active in just two games and played only 10 snaps for the Titans this season. He also struggled in 2013, finishing the season with only 49 tackles and a sack after posting 104 tackles and six sacks in 2012.
Ayers has been with the Titans since being drafted in the second round (39th overall) of the 2011 draft out of UCLA. He has played in 50 NFL games with 44 starts and has registered 254 total tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions 18 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.