New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore received some serious news about his health this summer after being diagnosed with blood clots.
“I could have lost my life,” said the 25-year-old, whose NFL career was put on hold after the diagnosis, which came shortly after training camp started in late July.
About 3 1/2 months after the frightening diagnosis, Barmore was cleared to return to the field. In the Patriots’ 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, the fourth-year player had three tackles in a limited role.
Just seeing him on the defensive line was a huge moment for Barmore. He had practiced for the first time this season on Thursday and was removed from the NFL’s non-football illness list on Saturday.
“I would say I played all right. Just got to keep going. I haven’t played football in a long time, but I’ll be all right,” Barmore said. “Still trying to get in game shape, but I’m good.”
But getting back to playing football wasn’t Barmore’s biggest concern. The emotions athletes usually feel when recovering from an injury weren’t present when Barmore first noticed symptoms that turned out to be a warning sign. He remembered feeling shortness of breath, which led to the discovery of the blood clots.
“Blood clots are no joke,” Barmore said. “I told myself that I’m not going to lose that battle. I’m going to keep fighting.”
In addition to the team’s medical staff, Barmore received a lot of support from his teammates and coaches. He said the encouragement he got from everyone around him helped him get through a difficult and uncertain time.
One of the Patriots’ team captains, David Andrews, had his own experience with blood clots and missed the entire 2019 season. What Barmore heard from Andrews, who is one of the most respected players in the Patriots locker room, really motivated him to keep going.
“David’s story motivated me to keep going and don’t stop,” Barmore said. “I had a lot of support from this organization.”
At first, Barmore was told he would miss the entire 2024 season. However, last month, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo hinted that Barmore could possibly return to play this season. When Barmore met with the medical team, they gave him the good news that he was cleared to return.
“I was excited and anxious. I couldn’t go to sleep,” Barmore said. “First and foremost, player safety is important,” Mayo said. “It was good to have him out there.”
Returning to football wasn’t the only major event in Barmore’s life over the past few months. After a strong 2023 season in which he had 8 1/2 sacks and 65 tackles, Barmore signed a contract extension in the offseason. He also had a special moment when he bought a house for his mother.
“I calm myself down. I’m a grown man. My goal was to come back for the team,” Barmore said.
One of Barmore’s teammates, receiver Kendrick Bourne, said Barmore’s return was much more meaningful than just getting back on the field.
“You’ve got to think about the bigger picture. It’s not easy what we do. It’s a tough league,” Bourne said. “Things happen that you think will never happen. I told him to keep feeling grateful that you’re out there.”
