The New England Patriots are down 7-0 to the Denver Broncos at the end of the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game. Unfortunately, the club may have lost one of its key defenders in Robert Spillane, as the veteran linebacker sustained an injury.
Reports indicate that Spillane, who is 30 years old, was forced to leave the game early due to an ankle injury, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. The good news is that Spillane walked off the field, but still needed to be evaluated in the blue medical tent.
“Patriots LB Robert Spillane goes down with injury early in AFC Championship Game vs. Broncos.”
The eight-year linebacker was quickly ruled questionable to return. However, it appears there is a chance he returns to the field. Spillane was seen coming back from the locker room and returned to the sidelines, per Sophie Weller of Patriots Wire.
“Robert Spillane just ran out of the locker room and is back on the sidelines.”
He was spotted warming up with trainers. So, expectations are that he will return to action. That’s great news for the Patriots, as Spillane has been one of the most consistent defenders all campaign. Through 13 games played in the 2025-26 regular season, Robert Spillane recorded 97 combined tackles (48 solo), one sack, a forced fumble, and two interceptions.
This is Spillane’s first season with the Patriots. He began his career in 2018 with Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans. However, in 2019, Spillane signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being waived by Tennessee. He played for the franchise for four seasons before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he played for two years.
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