Patriots starting offensive lineman played every snap despite having the flu

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Patriots starting offensive lineman played every snap despite having the flu

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Mon, Jan 12, 2026 ·

2 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – In the NFL, players often fight through injuries.

Last week, the Patriots ’ offensive line dealt with its fair share of adversity. That included a bout with the flu.

On Monday, Patriots center Garrett Bradbury revealed he missed most of last week after testing positive for the flu. After practicing one day, the veteran played 100% of the team’s offensive snaps in their wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers .

“I had the flu. Wasn’t fun. I don’t know if I ever had the flu before,” Bradbury said. “I was fine body wise. Trainers did a good job getting me what I needed. The coaches as well, missing Wednesday and Thursday practice, being able to stay on top of it.”

The team had its hands full against the Chargers, who have one of the top pass rushes in the NFL. Drake Maye was sacked five times on Sunday night as multiple Patriots offensive linemen fought through some adversity.

At the start of the week, Bradbury, right tackle Morgan Moses , and edge rusher Anfernee Jennings were out with an illness. Moses and Jennings returned to practice on Thursday, but Bradbury missed the first two sessions of the week.

The Patriots were also dealing with injuries to their starting left guard, Jared Wilson (concussion), and backup tackle Thayer Munford (knee).

Signed this offseason, Bradbury started every game for the Patriots this season. The 30-year-old has provided leadership and a steady presence at the center position. Bradbury finished second on the Patriots in offensive snaps played (98%).

On Sunday night, he didn’t miss a snap, despite dealing with the flu.

“That’s part of the NFL. Things are going to come up,” Bradbury said. “It kind of shows the resilience of the group, the maturity of the group. The coaches did a good job with guys being out and getting us what we needed, whether we were at practice or not. It was a physical game, a playoff football game.”

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