Over the first half of their 2025 season, Robert Spillane was an ironman on the New England Patriots defense. As a team captain, signal caller and three-down linebacker, he was on the field for more than 95% of snaps heading into the team’s Week 14 bye.
However, coming out of the break, foot and ankle injuries forced him to miss the Patriots’ next four games. He returned for the playoffs, but hurt his ankle again in the AFC Championship Game.
Advertisement
The subsequent two-week break leading up to the Super Bowl gave him enough time to get ready for the big game, and he did end up playing all 72 defensive snaps in his team’s 29-13 loss to the Seahawks. However, the status of Spillane’s ankle remained a mystery heading into the offseason.
Earlier this week, he gave an update.
“No surgery. Take care of myself,” Spillane explained. “The guys upstairs in the weight room also take care of me, so we’ve had a great plan and just continue to progress.”
Spillane not having to undergo surgery is good news for him and the Patriots. He is, after all, a critical piece of their defensive operation and a player again projected to play a big role in 2026.
Advertisement
Just look at it this way: despite his late-season injury woes, Spillane still ended the 2025 regular season as the Patriots’ leader in tackles with 97. He added 18 more to his tally in the postseason, the sixth most on the team, even though again being limited.
When on the field, the 2025 free agency signing was generally productive. The problem was staying there, at least down the stretch. For the eight-year veteran, however, that’s just “part of the game we play.”
“We sign up to get injured, to bang into each other, to put our bodies on the line. That’s just part of the business we play,” Spillane explained.
“Just so proud of guys stepping up behind me. Obviously, you want to do everything you can to get back out on the field. You hate missing snaps. You hate feeling like you’re letting your team down every time you’re not on the field. But I’m just really proud of the guys that stepped up and made big plays.”
Spillane currently is a participant in the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workout program.
Read the full article here
