The Patriots defensive lineman is facing a domestic assault charge.
Two of the New England Patriots’ most important players are dealing with some legal issues. One day after wide receiver Stefon Diggs facing charges of strangulation and assault became public, news broke that defensive tackle Christian Barmore was dealing with a similar situation: he is looking at a domestic assault charge stemming from an incident in August.
We already discussed Diggs’ outlook from both a legal and professional perspective. Now, let’s do the same with Barmore’s case.
Legal outlook
Whereas Stefon Diggs’ arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 23, Barmore’s will not take place until Feb. 3, five days before the Super Bowl. Should the Patriots advance that far in the playoffs, one would expect that he will not be present in person but rather represented through his attorneys.
At the arraignment itself, the charges against Barmore — misdemeanor assault and battery on a family/household member — will be read. Given that he has denied the allegations through his legal representatives, the expectation is that he would plead “not guilty.”
From there, just like in the Diggs case, the legal system would run its course. How long any prosecution would take is impossible to tell. Depending on the available evidence and cooperation of those involved in the case, several weeks could pass before a verdict is handed down.
Of course, the two parties could also reach a settlement out of court. That might not necessarily prevent the prosecution from moving forward, but it could favorably change the case for Barmore.
Professional outlook
The NFL released a statement on Wednesday in regards to both Barmore and Diggs, confirming that neither is currently headed for the commissioner’s exempt list:
Regarding both the Diggs and Barmore matters which are under review of the Personal Conduct Policy: There is no change to the status of Diggs or Barmore. Both are eligible to play at this time.
Pursuant to the Personal Conduct Policy … consideration for placement on the Commissioner Exempt List may be considered following formal charges in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor, or an arraignment in a criminal court.”
New England is familiar with the commissioner’s exempt list from last year’s Jabrill Peppers case. The then-Patriots captain was arrested on charges including strangulation and drug possession last October, and subsequently ended up missing eight games on the list.
One crucial difference between Peppers and both Barmore and Diggs is that he was charged shortly after his arrest. The latter two, meanwhile, have not gone through that same process yet; based on the NFL’s statement, that could be a crucial moment for both. As noted above, Barmore’s arraignment is set for Feb. 3, with Diggs’ taking place on Jan. 23.
Until those respective dates, no action on the NFL’s part should be expected. Afterwards, however, anything is possible.
The NFL, after all, has a different threshold to consider discipline under its personal conduct policy. League commissioner Roger Goodell will decide whether Barmore and Diggs violated the policy regardless of their legal status. And even being placed on the exempt list could only be the first step; the two could also both be subject to follow-up league investigations.
For the Patriots, the timing will be essential. As noted above, the arraignments for both are currently scheduled during the playoffs; Diggs’ shortly before the AFC Championship Game, Barmore’s shortly before the Super Bowl. In a worst-case scenario from a team perspective, both could end up missing crucial time.
Independently from potential legal ramifications and NFL discipline, the Patriots also will have to make decisions. While both Barmore and Diggs are among their best players, neither would be immune to being let go should the accusations they are facing turn out accurate.
Barmore in particular will be worth keeping an eye on if we look further down the line. After all, the 2021 second-round draft pick, who signed a four-year, $84 million extension through 2028 last offseason, has been involved in several incidents over the last year-plus.
In October 2024, for example, Barmore had a run-in with police following a traffic stop; he later apologized for the incident.
This year in October, he was benched for the first quarter of the Patriots’ game against the Cleveland Browns for undisclosed disciplinary reasons. Just this Sunday, he had a heated exchange with head coach Mike Vrabel ahead of halftime against the New York Jets; both men downplayed it, with Vrabel saying he was trying to calm the defender down after taking a cheap shot from Jets offensive tackle Armand Membou.
Despite those incidents, the Patriots continued to support Barmore. They have not changed their approach in light of his current legal situation. Still, there is a chance they change their stance depending on the charges he will be facing and subsequent prosecution.
If it comes to that, the fallout from a financial and team quality perspective would be discussed at an appropriate time.
For now, though, we can provide the following tl:dr for the 2025 season: based on what the NFL claimed on Wednesday, both Barmore and Diggs could end up on the commissioner’s exempt list following their arraignments in early February and late January, respectively.
From a pure football perspective, both losses would be massive. As previously discussed, Diggs is the Patriots’ leading receiver this year. Barmore, meanwhile, has not popped up from a statistical perspective but formed a productive interior trio with currently-injured Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga. Having all three available into the playoffs would go a long way toward New England’s defense improving against the run and in the pass rush department again.
Category: General Sports
