As Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins continues to miss practices and games with an injury, rumors apparently have been swirling that he’s suffering from MRSA. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports that Collins does not have MRSA.
Or, more accurately, Howe reports that there’s no evidence Collins has MRSA.
Technically, Collins could have any condition that counts as an “illness,” since the league’s injury-reporting rules require no specificity. As Howe notes, however, the Patriots have not closed any portion of Gillette Stadium to disinfect the building, which is the standard practice when a player has been diagnosed with an infection that is resistant to antibiotics.
The Patriots expect to not have Collins on Monday night against the Bills due to the illness, and it’s unclear when he will return.
Collins first appeared on the injury report with an illness on November 7. He hasn’t played or practiced since.