Patriots corner Marcellus Dial reportedly out for season with torn ACL
Dial had to be carted off the field after he injured his left leg during Monday's practice in an 11 vs. 11 drill in Foxboro. ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss reported Tuesday that Dial has suffered a torn ACL, which will land him on season-ending injured reserve.
Dial was a sixth-round pick by New England in 2024 and made the 53-man roster as a rookie after a strong training camp. He played in all 17 regular-season games last year, and while he got the bulk of his action on special teams, Dial also played 60 defensive snaps for the Patriots.
Dial finished with 12 tackles and a forced fumble as a rookie. He was playing slot corner along with Marcus Jones in training camp this summer, and was in line to be a core special teams player again in 2025.
But now his second NFL season is over before it had a chance to begin.
Cornerback has been a tough position for the Patriots in training camp. Veteran Carlton Davis was signed to a three-year, $60 million contract in the offseason, but he has only participated in walkthrough practices this summer. Top corner Christian Gonzalez was lost to a hamstring injury last week, though the injury isn't expected to linger into the regular season.
With Dial lost for the season, it will place an even bigger importance on the development on New England's younger defensive backs. Alex Austin and DJ James have been lining up as the team's top outside corners this week, and both could find themselves in important depth roles by the time the regular season arrives.
New England also has Isaian Bolden, Miles Battle, seventh-round pick Cobee Minor, and undrafted rookie Brandon Crossley on their defensive back depth chart.
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