Injury update: Patriots wide receiver Phillip Dorsett reportedly week-to-week because of ‘minor’ hamstring injury

New England Patriots wide receiver Phillip Dorsett saw his fifth game of the season come to a premature end: the 26-year-old left the contest against the Washington Redskins just four plays into the first quarter because of what was later announced to be a hamstring injury. The team initially labeled Dorsett as “questionable” to return to the game, but officially downgraded him to “out” at the beginning of the second half.

Needless to say that the situation was one worth keeping a close eye on. After all, Dorsett had been on the field for almost three fourths of the Patriots’ offensive snaps through Week 4 and caught 15 passes for 197 yards and a team-high three touchdowns. However, it sound as if he and the team may have dodged a bullet: according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the hamstring injury is considered to be “minor.”

Dorsett is seen as week-to-week, which puts his availability for New England’s upcoming Thursday Night game against the New York Giants in question. That being said, the long-term outlook appears to be good which is positive news for the pass catcher himself and for the Patriots: Dorsett, after all, developed into a reliable, top-three wide receiver this season that fully seems to enjoy quarterback Tom Brady’s trust.

Against Washington, the Patriots used a combination of players to replace his role within the offense: undrafted rookie Jakobi Meyers saw an increased number of snaps, while tight ends Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo, and running back Sony Michel also became more involved in the passing game. If Dorsett misses some time because of the hamstring issue, those four players could see more action moving forward.

New England will release its first injury report of the week later today.