The New England Patriots earned a 20-3 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they lost one of their key players to injury during the game. Dre'Mont Jones suffered a left shoulder injury in the second quarter and went to the locker room, where he was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

There hadn't been a clear update on Jones, but head coach Mike Vrabel shared a positive sign a day after the game for his status moving forward.

“I don't know how he's going to progress during the week. He wasn't able to finish the game; he'll do everything he can to be ready, and if he's not, then we'll have to alternate plans,” Jones said via ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Mike Vrabel arrives, enjoys seeing @DougKyed’s daughter Olivia, and then turns to @kguregian for an initial question on the status of OLB Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) and young OLB depth. pic.twitter.com/p3sa4XJ6WA

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 21, 2026

This is good news for the Patriots, and it sounds like there is a chance that he doesn't miss time, and if he does, it might not be for long. Even in Jones' absence for the remainder of the game, the Patriots were able to keep the pressure on the Steelers' offense.

Jones was one of the Patriots' key free agent signings during the offseason after he played with the Baltimore Ravens last season.

The Patriots were able to bounce back in a big way in Week 2 after their rough start to the season against the Seattle Seahawks. The defense played well in that game, but it was the offense that struggled in the first half. The defense carried over against the Steelers as well, but the offense made more plays and was able to find a bit of a rhythm.

There are still some things that the Patriots need to improve on as the season continues, and the hope is that they can do it sooner rather than later.