The Patriots will play Sunday without at least four of their eight captains.

Long snapper Joe Cardona, the team’s special teams captain, was ruled out Saturday night. Cardona was listed as questionable with a calf injury before being ruled out. The Patriots elevated long snapper Tucker Addington, who was signed Friday, from the practice squad on Saturday afternoon.

Two captains, center David Andrews and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, are on injured reserve with injuries expected to be season-ending. Another captain, safety Jabrill Peppers, is on the commissioner’s exempt list after being arrested last Saturday on assault, battery, strangulation and drug charges.

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Safety Kyle Dugger, voted a replacement captain, is questionable to play with an ankle injury, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett, an original captain, was benched for rookie Drake Maye.

That leaves just two captains, Hunter Henry, a replacement, and defensive end Deatrich Wise, guaranteed to take the field on Sunday against the Texans.

The Patriots put captains patches on their jerseys for the first time this season. The Patriots had captains under Bill Belichick, but they never wore patches. New head coach Jerod Mayo, a captain during his playing days with the Patriots, introduced them this year.

“It’s a badge of honor, and I think when guys do the right thing, they should be recognized for those things,” Mayo said in September. “It’s something as small as having the captain’s patch, I think it’s important for those guys.”