Patriots LB Robert Spillane heads to locker room

New England Patriots leading tackler Robert Spillane was injured with three minutes left in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game at Denver after a running play up the middle.

One possession after the Broncos took a 7-0 lead, Spillane received attention while seated on the field. He stayed on the field for several minutes and slammed his helmet on the turf before he was able to walk to the sideline under his own power. He was escorted from the sideline to the locker room by New England's training staff.

New England announced that Spillane was questionable to return to the game.

He led the Patriots with 97 tackles in the regular season and was in on two stops before he left the field Sunday.

Spillane is in his first season with the Patriots, who signed the former Raiders inside linebacker to a three-year, $37.5 million deal in March 2025. He had 158 tackles with the Raiders in 2024.