Patriots Rookie Carted Off Field After Gruesome Injury

Wilson Suffers Big Injury vs. Bengals

Wilson, 22, has played and started in 10 of the team's 11 games prior to the matchup against the Bengals. He has been one of the best parts of the offense so far this season and his growth has been a big reason behind the team's turnaround.

The Patriots confirmed that Wilson suffered a right ankle injury and he is questionable to return. Should Wilson miss a lot of time, it would be a big loss for the Patriots.

“I think that he’s a quick learner,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said during training camp.

“He was one of those players that maybe wasn’t out there as much on the field in the spring, but really was able to grasp it mentally and allow that to carry over when he had an opportunity to be on the field. So, he was able to show, for a young player, some of those things to be ready when he got his opportunity to be on the field.”

The key to the Patriots offense is keeping quarterback Drake Maye off of the ground and Wilson has done a great job of helping that cause this season. Wilson played guard and center in his college days with the Georgia Bulldogs, but he has primarily been playing left guard for the Patriots.

With Wilson out, Ben Brown is the one taking over for the Pats in his place. Brown, a 27-year-old guard out of Ole Miss, has appeared in every game for the team this season, but he has only made one start.

Last season, Brown started 10 games for the Pats after being signed off of the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad. His starting experience should come in handy as the Patriots need him to keep Maye upright during the game.

The Bengals don't have a great pass rush, so that should help Brown's job, but the Patriots may need him in the lineup for a while if Wilson's injury is too serious for him to return. Either way, the Pats should have confidence in whoever is protecting Maye and the run game in the trenches.