The Patriots have placed starting center Bryan Stork on injured-reserve/designated for return, the team announced Wednesday.
Stork missed the entire preseason due to a concussion. A fourth-round pick in 2014, he moved into the starting lineup a little more than a month into last season and played well for a line that allowed Tom Brady to be sacked just 21 times all season.
The team announced Stork would miss Thursday night’s opener before announcing he’d been given the IR/return designation. He’ll be eligible to return to practice after six weeks and eligible to be activated in eight weeks, assuming he can pass the league’s concussion protocol.
Teams can place one player per season on IR/designated for return.
The Patriots list veteran Ryan Wendell as their backup center. Wendell didn’t participate in camp until Aug. 24 due to a shoulder injury, so Josh Kline and David Andrews could also be in the plans for Thursday night.