He did Sunday, though, thanks to an exceptional showing in a 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears.
The little-known Pharms turned into a game wrecker on New England’s interior defensive line, registering by far the best performance of his NFL career with a sack of Caleb Williams and three tackles for loss.
The top-tier production from Pharms, who was inactive not long ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars, certainly didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates. Pharms’ fellow defensive tackle Davon Godchaux made sure the unheralded defender got his due.
“Just growing, man. He’s always willing to grow and he’s going to keep getting better,” Godchaux told NESN.com. “He’s always putting in the extra work at practice so I’m not surprised about that. It was his time to have a great game and he did it.”
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Pharms wasn’t just recognized by Godchaux for what he did on the field against the Bears. Keion White revealed Pharms came away with a much-deserved team honor as well.
“As a defense, in our individual meeting, he got the defensive player of the week,” White told NESN.com. “Seeing that was a dope experience, for sure.”
Pharms’ teammates certainly are pulling for the 28-year-old since his path to the NFL was anything but conventional.
He spent his college career at Sacramento City College, San Joaquin Delta and Friends University — the opposite of college football blue bloods — before winding up in the Indoor League with the Wichita Force. He then jumped to the USFL and played for the Pittsburgh Maulers, which is where he got the attention of the Patriots.
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Pharms was on New England’s practice squad for the 2022 season before making his way into nine games last year. He progressed to the point where he turned into an impactful disruptor against the Bears, and there’s no doubt Pharms is a feel-good story for which the Patriots can easily get behind.
“I’m rooting for him all the way,” White said. “Seeing him come up through everything and being able to make plays, being player of the game, things like that. It’s really dope to see and watch.”
