Patriots and Packers suspend play after NE CB Isaiah Bolden suffers scary upper-body injury

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — The Patriots and Packers agreed to suspend play during their preseason matchup Saturday after cornerback Isaiah Bolden suffered a blow to the upper body that required the New England rookie to be stabilized on a board and carted off the field.

Bolden’s head collided with teammate Calvin Munson while pursuing Green Bay receiver Malik Heath with 10 minutes and 29 seconds remaining in the game. The 23-year-old defensive back immediately fell limp to the field.

Bolden remained on the ground for several minutes as personnel from both teams gathered on the field.

The Patriots’ broadcasting team of Bob Socci and Scott Zolak informed viewers that they could see movement in some of Bolden’s lower extremities as he was placed on a stabilizing board and carted off the field.

Shortly after the game, the Patriots announced that Bolden had feeling in all his extremities and was taken to a local hospital for further tests and observation. He will be held there overnight and the Patriots plan to provide an update on his condition by 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

Both teams agreed to suspend the remainder of the game after Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur met with officials.

After the game, Patriots captain Mathew Slater commended his head coach of 16 years for taking the initiative in stopping the game.

“This is not the AFC championship,” Slater said. “We’re not playing for records. It’s preseason game two. When you have an injury like that, it affects a lot of guys in a lot of different ways. Clearly our team was shaken by what happened.”

The game was called with the Patriots leading 21-17, moving New England’s record to 1-1 in the preseason.

Bolden was drafted out of Jackson State in the seventh round with the 245th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Players from both teams had connections to Bolden.

Heath grew up in Jackson, Miss., and knew Bolden from the cornerback’s Jackson State roots. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones said he’s known Bolden since they were both in high school.

“We played 7-on-7 football together,” Jones said. “Definitely one of my brothers.”

“It’s a reminder of the fragility of life,” Slater said. “It’s not something we spend a lot of time thinking about, but the reality is all of us will have to wrestle with that at some point in time, every person who’s ever walked the face of this Earth. I think it’s unfortunate that it happens in this context and this setting because this is meant to be a joyful, celebratory experience.

The incident came more than seven months after Hamlin — a Buffalo Bills safety — went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field after making what appeared to be a routine tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

“Of course, that’s in the back of all of our minds when something like that happens,” Patriots cornerback Jalen Mills said after the game.

The Patriots are scheduled to travel to Nashville on Sunday for a session of joint practices with the Tennessee Titans before the two teams square off in the preseason finale on Friday night.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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