A problem with blood clots delayed the start of defensive tackle Christian Barmore’s fourth NFL season. Now “recurring symptoms” have ended it three weeks early.

The New England Patriots announced on Thursday that they had placed the former Alabama standout on reserve/non-football illness.

The Patriots’ statement said Barmore had “experienced some recurring symptoms that required further evaluation. We appreciate everything Christian did to return to the team this season, but our top priority is Christian’s health and well-being. We know that he will continue to receive tremendous care, and we want to ensure that he gets the time he needs to come back stronger than ever.”

On July 28, New England announced Barmore had been diagnosed with blood clots. He did not practice again with his teammates until Nov. 14, and Barmore played 21 defensive snaps in the Patriots’ 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 17 in his 2024 debut.

Barmore played 66 defensive snaps across the next two games, and he got his first sack of the season on Nov. 24, when he took down Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a former Alabama teammate.

But Barmore did not play in Sunday’s 30-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Barmore joined New England from Alabama’s 2020 undefeated CFP national-championship team in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. After playing in every game as a rookie, Barmore played in 10 in 2022 because of injuries.

In 2023, Barmore reached career highs with 64 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits and six pass breakups.

During the offseason, New England signed Barmore to a four-year, $83 million contract extension.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.