Patriots DE Rob Ninkovich Suffers Torn Triceps, Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks

Update:

Adam Schefter reports that Patriots DE Rob Ninkovich is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with his torn triceps injury.

Ian Rapoport originally reported that Ninkovich could be out until October, so it appears that the Patriots avoided an even larger crisis with him.

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Jeff Howe, citing a source, reports that Patriots DE Rob Ninkovich is expected to miss “weeks not months” with his torn triceps injury and could return sometime in September.

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Mike Reiss of ESPN reports that Patriots DE Rob Ninkovich suffered a torn triceps and it currently remains to be seen how much time he’ll miss with this injury.

• Reiss adds that there’s also the question of just how much strength he’ll have, should he return this year.
• While Ninkovich tore his tricep, he did not tear his tricep tendon, according to Ian Rapoport.
• Rapoport adds that by tearing just his tricep muscle, Ninkovich will not need to undergo surgery and can instead rehab the muscle. Assuming everything goes according to plan, Rapoport says Ninkovich could return by October.

Ninkovich left Tuesday’s practice and underwent and MRI, but it sounds like the Patriots will see him again this season. It’s possible that Ninkovich could be a candidate for short-term injured reserve.

Ninkovich, 32, is in the final year of his four-year, $15.04 million contract that included a $5 million signing bonus He stands to make a base salary of $1.5 million for the 2016 season.

In 2015, Ninkovich appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and recorded 52 tackles, 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a recovery and six pass defenses.