Patriots Rumors: DeVante Parker Not Expected to Play vs. Eagles with Knee Injury

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will be without one of his top targets for Sunday's season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker is expected to miss New England's Week 1 matchup due to a knee injury, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. He was listed as questionable on the injury report.

Parker missed a pair of practices last week due to his knee injury but returned to practice on Monday in a limited capacity.

The 30-year-old is expected to be a significant factor in the passing game for the Patriots this season alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne.

The Patriots acquired Parker in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, where he had spent the first seven years of his career, ahead of the 2022 season. He appeared in 13 games for New England last season, catching 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns.

With Parker expected to be sidelined, rookie wide receivers Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas figure to see more playing time, especially with Tyquan Thornton also sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the season with a shoulder ailment.

The Patriots selected Douglas in the sixth round of the 2023 draft out of Liberty. During the 2022 season with the Flames, he caught 79 passes for 993 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games.

Boutte, meanwhile, was signed by New England this summer as an undrafted free agent out of LSU. In 11 games with the Tigers last season, he caught 48 passes for 538 yards and two touchdowns.

Jones and the Patriots can also turn to tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki in the passing game. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott should see the majority of the snaps out of the backfield.