New England Patriots trade rumors: Pats playing with thin roster

Despite starting the season 2-0 to lead the American Football Conference Eastern Division, the New England Patriots are still going through some problems as they miss their key players.

Tom Brady still has two games left in his suspension and at the moment, Jimmy Garoppolo is also a big question mark. After sustaining a sprained AC joint in their game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Garoppolo was reportedly not present during the team's practice on Tuesday.

Without two of their quarterbacks, things are troublesome for the Patriots as they have to face the Houston Texans on Thursday and they will have difficulty without a quarterback on the team.

With Brady out and Garoppolo seemingly unable to make it in time, it is believed that rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett could be the player chosen to throw during their Thursday game.

It is highly concerning that the Patriots are to deal with quarterback issues for at least two more games.

Furthermore, if Garoppolo is going to be out for an extended period, the lack of depth in the position behind Brady when he returns is also worrisome for the Patriots.

In relation to injuries in the team, there is some good news for the Patriots as linebacker Dont'a Hightower practiced on Tuesday after being out due to a knee injury. During practice, he was seen wearing a brace on his right knee for added protection.

Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski was also present during practice as he arrived in full pads on the field but did minimal work. Conditioning most likely his focus for the tight end at the moment.

It is going to be very interesting to see how the Patriots handle all that's going on within the team at the moment, as they may have to go through more hurdles in the coming weeks with the lack of their star players.

Furthermore, they have to make sure not to put any more players at risk as it would be a huge blow if the team suffers from any more setbacks due to injuries.