Steve Gregory Injury Update: Out a “Few Weeks” with Broken Thumb

The news on the injury suffered by Patriots safety Steve Gregory is in, and it’s not good, but not entirely bad. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports:

Patriots safety Steve Gregory broke his thumb and is expected to be sidelined a few weeks, per league sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 5, 2013

That “few weeks” diagnosis is still pretty vague, and similar to the timetable that Shane Vereen was initially given after breaking a bone in his hand week one. That being said, Albert Breer of NFL Network wrote on Twitter that Gregory may not even end up missing a game if he can play in a cast:

Patriots S Steve Gregory has a broken thumb. He may not miss a game, b/c of the timing. That likely depends on whether he can play w/a cast.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 5, 2013

So it looks like Gregory and the Patriots dodged a bullet here – as Gregory should definitely be in uniform for the stretch run and the playoffs. However, it does appear that the Patriots will need to adjust to life without their defensive communication leader and best tackling defensive back for the short term.