Patriots Don't Activate Rookie DT Off IR

The New England Patriots are now just one day away from playing in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks, and they'll do so without one of their rookies on defense.

Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer -- who suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the season and was placed on Injured Reserve -- was not activated by the team and will miss playing in the Super Bowl. He had been practicing with the team all week in California, and entered the game with a questionable designation, but the Patriots decided not to make a roster move to add him to the game day roster.

DT Joshua Farmer has been downgraded to out for Super Bowl LX. pic.twitter.com/BtAif8OEmx
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 7, 2026

Farmer's season in New England has been up and down. During the summer, he wasn't getting the majority of the reps on the defensive line. He later found a larger role during the regular season, as the 137th overall draft choice out of Florida State logged 20 tackles, two run stuffs, one pass defended and a fumble recovery in 13 games.

The 23-year-old's season is now over, win or lose. And while he'll be watching the Super Bowl from the sideline, he showed enough promise to have Patriots fans excited for what he can bring in 2026.

Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (92) and New York Giants defensive tackle Darius Alexander (91) exchange jerseys after the game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

What This Means For The Patriots:

Because Farmer had been practicing all week, it's likely that he'll head into the offseason without any injury limitations for 2026. The developmental player will be able to find a way to carve out a larger role next season, and can try and become the team's third interior defensive tackle. Farmer was a player some draft experts believed would be picked in the top-100 last April, but his slide made the Patriots feel comfortable taking him in the fourth round.

He's not the only player whose 21-day window to return from IR expired this season. Earlier this week, second-year running back Terrell Jennings was not activated from concussion protocol and will also miss the game against Seattle.

The Patriots' interior defensive line in the Super Bowl will be the following: Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Khyiris Tonga, Cory Durden and Leonard Taylor III (who was elevated from the practice sqaud in a temporary move).

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