Patriots place Raekwon McMillan on injured reserve, ending veteran linebacker’s 2023 season

The addition of tight end Anthony Firkser required a move among the 90 for the New England Patriots.

That move would be linebacker Raekwon McMillan, whom the organization officially placed on injured reserve Thursday, as A to Z Sports’ Doug Kyed first reported.

The Ohio State product suffered a partially torn Achilles in practice, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. It will end his 2023 before it could begin. Barring injury settlements, NFL players sent to IR prior to 53-man rosters being established are ineligible to be activated later in the regular season.

McMillan, 27, entered the league in the second round of the 2017 draft at pick No. 54 overall. The former Buckeyes captain and College Football Playoff national champion missed his rookie year due to a torn ACL. He returned to start 28 games for the Miami Dolphins through the next two years, totaling 177 tackles along with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, before being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.

New England signed McMillan as an unrestricted free agent in 2021, yet that campaign came to a close during training camp due to a second ACL tear. A contract extension followed weeks later.

It saw McMillan appear in 16 games last season while starting one. Across 250 snaps on defense and 277 snaps on special teams, the 6-foot-2, 242-pound veteran had a hand in 35 tackles, his first career sack as well as his first career touchdown return on a fumble recovery.

The Patriots re-signed McMillan to a one-year deal ahead of the new league year in March.