New England Patriots officially place OT Sebastian Vollmer on IR

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots tackle Sebastian Vollmer (76) and guard Dan Connolly (63) line up against the Baltimore Ravens defense in the second quarter of the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports /

The New England Patriots officially placed offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer on injured reserve on Tuesday.

On Sunday, in a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Vollmer had to be carted off the field after suffering a leg injury. On Monday, reports surfaced that Vollmer had a broken right leg and would need surgery.

The team initially hoped to bring Vollmer back before the end of the season, but placing him on IR ends the chances of that happening.

Vollmer was replaced by former TCU Horned Frogs’ offensive lineman Marcus Cannon and he is expected to have the job for the rest of the season.

On the roster, Vollmer was replaced by defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga. The Patriots acquired Sopoaga and a sixth round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a sixth round pick just prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Losing Vollmer is obviously a huge blow for a struggling Patriots’ offense. He has been a mainstay for the Patriots since they selected him with the 58th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Vollmer, a native of Germany, had been one of the best tackles in the league so far.

The Patriots will get back to work Sunday when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:25 pm EST.