Patriots' Star Safety's Injury Timeline Unclear

FOXBOROUGH, MA. — New England Patriots starting safety Jaylinn Hawkins will be among the team’s most closely watched players heading into this weekend’s prime time matchup with the Buffalo Bills — for an unenviable reason.

Hawkins left the Pats’ Week 4 contest against the Carolina Panthers with a hamstring injury just before halftime after suffering a hamstring injury. He did not return for the remainder of the game, which was decisively won by the Patriots to the tune of a 42-13 final score.

Despite their impressive victory, losing Hawkins for any period of time could be costly for New England’s defense. In fact, one Patriots insider believes that it may be one of the most intriguing storylines heading into the team’s Week 5 showdown against the defending AFC East Champions.

“From the sort-of-a-sneaky-big-storyline-that-maybe-isn’t-being-talked-about-enough department: Starting safety Jaylinn Hawkins injured his hamstring late in the first half and didn’t play in the second half,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported. “The Patriots have invested a lot of time at safety in terms of their communication and how the pieces fit.”

Hawkins first showed signs of being hurt after limping off the field on the first play of Carolina’s last major possession of the first half. With 1:50 remaining in the second quarter, to appeared to transition too quickly from a back-pedal to a fast forward stride. Though the 28-year-old remained on the field for the entire six-play series — as well as Carolina’s deep pass attempt at the conclusion of the half — he was visibly hampered by his injured left leg. Hawkins did not align on any third-quarter defensive snaps before being officially announced as “questionable to return” by the team early in the fourth quarter.

Prior to his suffering his impairment in Week 4, Hawkins had been one of New England’s most reliable defensive backs. Heading into last week’s contest against the Panthers, the California product had aligned on 173 of 174 defensive snaps. In limited Week 4 action [39 snaps] he logged four total tackles. Though the Pats’ first four games, he has compiled 20 tackles, one interception, one pass deflection, and one sack. Last season, Hawkins played in all 17 games with seven starts, recording 48 tackles and one pass deflection.

New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins (21) tackles a Carolina Panthers wide receiver. — Sep 28, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins (21) tackles Carolina Panthers wide receiver Brycen Tremayne (87) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

While it is still too early to determine whether Hawkins will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, New England faces the possible challenge of filling a major void in their secondary. Following his exit from last week’s game, veteran safety — and former team captain — Kyle Dugger accepted the duties, finishing the contest having aligned on 35 snaps, while tallying three total tackles. Dugger, who has significant experience playing against the Bills during his six-seasons in Foxborough, could end up back in the starting lineup alongside rookie Craig Woodson — as the Pats’ attempt to contain a red-hot Bills’ offense led by reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen.

Accordingly, the collective eyes of Patriots Nation will be on the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium when the team practices for the first time in Week 5. Hawkins’ status may provide a good indicator of the degree to which the depth of their secondary will be stretched in the coming days.

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