Patriots LB Injured in AFC Championship Game

The New England Patriots are one win away from the Super Bowl, but things might get a little bit more difficult after an injury to linebacker Robert Spillane in the first half.

Spillane went to the medical tent but was quickly transferred to the locker room, which isn't a good sign for his prognosis for the rest of the game.

New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane jogs off the field after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Spillane Injured in Patriots vs. Broncos

Spillane, 30, was an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in the 2018 NFL draft when Mike Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Spillane played his first NFL season with Tennessee and played in two games for the team. He moved on to play with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019, where he spent four seasons primarily playing on special teams.

Spillane played 50 games across four seasons and helped the Steelers reach the playoffs in 2020 and 2021. In 2023, Spillane signed a two-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders and appeared in all 34 regular season games that he was on the roster. In 2024, he had 158 tackles and seven passes defensed for the Raiders, which prompted the Patriots to sign him in free agency.

Spillane and the Pats agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract in the spring, and he has played well in the first year of that deal. This season, Spillane has played in 13 games for the Patriots, accruing 97 total tackles and five passes defensed.

Earlier in the playoffs, Vrabel praised Spillane for his performance against the Chargers when the team won 16-3 at home.

"Yeah, I mean, I thought he held up okay. I think that there's going to be some plays that he's going to want to improve on, game conditioning and all those things, and motion, but we got great efforts from everybody. Robert and Harold [Landry III], who hadn't been out there, helped us win. They're all part of this victory," Vrabel said after the Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Last week, Spillane had six tackles in a win against the Texans and recorded two tackles before his injury against the Broncos. If he were to not return for the Patriots, it would be a big loss for the defense, but with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, someone on the unit will have to step up in his place, otherwise the team will head back to New England empty-handed.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!