Patriots get positive update on defensive captain's injury

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger could miss some time with the ankle injury he suffered during Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. However, he is believed to have avoided a major injury, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Dugger left Sunday’s game early and was later ruled out. He had been elevated to team captain following the season-ending injury suffered by linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. This season, he had recorded 20 total tackles and two assisted tackles before exiting Sunday’s game.

This is certainly positive news for a Patriots team struggling on both sides of the ball. Dugger has tallied 363 total tackles in his career, and has emerged as one of the defensive leaders for the team.

Dugger’s injury will be worth monitoring ahead of the Patriots’ Week 5 divisional showdown with the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots are already missing Christian Barmore and Bentley.

Dugger potentially being out would create even more problems for the struggling defense.