Injuries continued to mount for the New England Patriots on Tuesday.
According to reports, the latest casualty was running back LeGarrette Blount, who suffered a hip injury on Sunday that apparently will sideline him for the rest of the season.
Blount, the team’s leading rusher with 703 yards and four touchdowns, was hurt during the second quarter of the Patriots’ 27-6 win over the Houston Texans.
Running back Brandon Bolden replaced Blount against the Texans and finished with 51 yards on 16 carries. But with Blount accounting for more than half of the Patriots’ rushing attempts this season, his loss could significantly impact the offense.
With Blount sidelined, the Patriots signed former Denver Broncos running back Montee Ball to their practice squad.
New England also placed defensive lineman Dominque Easley on injured reserve, added wide receiver DeAndre Carter to the practice squad and released wide receiver Austin Hill and defensive lineman Kelcy Quarles from the practice squad.
Ball spent his first two NFL seasons with the Broncos. In 21 regular-season games and three starts, he rushed for 731 yards and five touchdowns on 175 carries for Denver. The former second-round draft pick was released by the Broncos in September.
Easley sustained a thigh injury in the second half of last Sunday’s game against the Texans. He played in 11 games this season for the Patriots and started once, finishing with 15 tackles, two sacks and 10 quarterback hits.