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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: Chad Muma #55 of the Indianapolis Colts on field during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 28, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
It was not the sole reason that they lost, but certainly, looking at the way the Bills were able to gash the Patriots up the middle in the critical 35-31 loss with the AFC crown on the line on Sunday, not having star linebacker Robert Spillane on the field was an issue for New England. Spillane cropped up on the injury report last Thursday, and was limited in the final two practices of last week.
He was active for the game against Buffalo and warmed up–but, ultimately, the Patriots decided to hold him out. It’s still not clear how serious Spillane’s injury, to his foot, actually is but the Patriots made a transaction on Monday that indicates that they’re at least worried about whether Spillane will miss more time.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Patriots are signing a former third-round pick to help fill the potential Spillane game.
As Schultz wrote on Twitter/X, “Sources: The #Patriots are signing LB Chad Muma off the #Colts practice squad and onto their active roster. Muma, the former 3rd-round pick, will provide much-needed LB depth for New England.”
Patriots Needed Linebacker Depth
Muma was a third-round pick of the Jaguars in 2022, and played three seasons for Jacksonville, suiting up for 50 games and making seven starts. Muma eventually lost his rotation spot to Devin Lloyd of the Jaguars and was cut at the end of the summer this year. The Colts signed him, and moved him to the practice squad in November. Now, the Patriots are plucking him in an insurance move.
The hope is that it is merely an insurance move, at least, as Spillane has been excellent in his first season since signing a three-year, $38 million deal to leave the Raiders. Even after missing Sunday’s game, Spillane leads the team in tackles by a wide margin–he has 97, and fellow linebacker Christian Elliss has 76.
Spillane was replaced by Jack Gibbens as the “green dot” linebacker in Week 15, and Gibbens wound up with nine tackles on the day.
GettyNew England Patriots LB Robert Spillane.
Mike Vrabel Explains Robert Spillane Decision
On Monday, Vrabel talked about the decision to keep Spillane on the Patriots’ active roster for Sunday, despite the fact that he did not play. Vrabel said he felt the potential for Spillane to get on the field outweighed adding depth at another position, and that the Patriots were too thin at linebacker to warrant making a move over the weekend.
The Muma addition could change that.
“I just think it was just to see what we can get, see whether he was going to be able to do it or if he was going to be in an emergency role,” Vrabel said.
“There’s not a lot of depth there outside of him, and could have had a few guys up, but didn’t think that that was really going to make an impact on the game day roster. It felt like, whether it’s the sixth outside linebacker, the sixth receiver, the fourth tight end or whatever it may have been, I just didn’t feel like that that was going to make that much of a difference or a difference at all.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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