If the New England Patriots are going to repeat as NFL champs, they'll have to do so without the services of left tackle Nate Solder. Solder will miss the remainder of the 2015 NFL season after tearing the bicep in his right arm, according to a report from Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.
Solder, 27, is in his fifth season out of Colorado after being selected by the Patriots in the first-round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Since his rookie season, he's appeared in and started almost every game - 64 of 67 contests, to be exact - for New England as Patriot quarterback Tom Brady's blindside protector.
Solder injured his arm during this weekend's game against the Dallas Cowboys, exiting the action late in the second quarter with what was believed at the time to be an elbow injury. The entire Patriots offensive line struggled early against the Cowboys, allowing five sacks in the first half. Swing tackle Marcus Cannon took over for the remainder of the game after Solder went down and helped the Pats to an eventualy 30-6 route of Dallas.
"He did awesome, yeah,'' Solder said of Cannon after the game, via McBride. "And good for him. He went in there and played great.''
After the Patriots victory, Solder indicated to reporters that he expected to return to the game at some point.
Solder will have surgery to repair the torn muscle in the coming days, per McBride.
