The Patriots will be without cornerback Alex Austin for the next four games. New England announced Tuesday evening that it has put the veteran defensive back on injured reserve.
The announcement did not say what Austin’s injury is. He played in Sunday’s win against the Bengals, recording three tackles.
The reserve cornerback has played in 20 percent of New England’s defensive snaps this season, down from 39 percent last year. He started two games this season while Christian Gonzalez was out. Austin has 13 tackles this season. He has played in all 12 games, primarily on special teams.