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What Christian Barmore said of 1st-quarter benching against Browns
“I’ve moved on. Next question. Let’s focus on the Falcons.”
Christian Barmore is on to Atlanta.
At least, that’s the message he relayed to reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday when asked about his first-quarter benching during Sunday’s win over the Browns.
“It ain’t nothing. It ain’t nothing,” Barmore said when asked what led to the benching, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels. “We’re just focused on the Falcons. Focused on the Falcons.”
Barmore did not budge when asked if he had any additional comment about the situation.
“I’ve moved on. Next question,” Barmore said. “Let’s focus on the Falcons.”
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The 26-year-old defensive tackle has been a mainstay on New England’s defense over the last few years, and has teamed up with the likes of Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga to form a stout defensive line so far this season.
But on Sunday, Barmore was benched for the entire first quarter on New England’s eventual 32-13 win over Cleveland. He logged his first defensive snaps at the start of the second quarter, with Mike Vrabel noting postgame that it was his call.
“I just had to make a decision. My job’s to protect the team,” Vrabel said when asked about Barmore’s benching. “So when there are actions that I don’t feel like are commensurate with what we want to do here, I have to make a decision. And we move on.”
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Even after sitting out of the first 15 minutes of Sunday’s win, Barmore recorded 30 defensive snaps against the Browns. PFF charted him with a team-high six pressures generated during that stretch.
Barmore, who signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension with New England in April 2024, has recorded 13 total tackles through eight games this season — although those numbers don’t factor in the pressure he has regularly generated up the middle alongside the likes of Williams and Tonga.
For Barmore, the focus moving forward is on learning from the situation and helping the Patriots improve to 7-2 next Sunday when they host the Falcons in Foxborough.
“It’s always about growing,” Barmore said. “It’s always about playing the way you’re supposed to be playing, especially how the coaches want us to play. We all got a job we’ve got to do.”
Even with Sunday’s setback, Barmore stressed that he has no qualms with Vrabel’s actions.
“Yeah, that’s my guy,” Barmore said of his head coach.
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