From the first week of the season, when the Patriots watched A.J. Brown hobble off the field with a high ankle sprain after just 31 snaps, to last week, when left tackle Will Campbell had to be carted off due to a sprained right MCL, the Patriots have had to tiptoe through a minefield of injuries.

Attrition is normal in the NFL. The Patriots have typically dealt with more than the average, though, and through five weeks have been hit harder than any Patriots team since 2021.

Twenty-six players already have missed a combined 68 games this season, based on NFLVerse data.

Read more from Julian Benbow at Globe.com/Sports.