“It’s been a really tough week, Coach. My house burned down.”

“We’re on to Arizona. Without you. Hand in your playbook.”

Even if there was a bit more compassion in the bargain, the timeline isn’t in doubt: Bill Belichick’s Patriots, in typically cold-blooded fashion, on Saturday cut veteran Joe Vellano, who lost his house in a fire two days prior.

WRGB reported Vellano’s home, in Attleboro, Mass., was destroyed by fire last Thursday while he was readying for the Patriots’ road preseason finale at MetLife Stadium. According to WPRI, there were no injuries in the blaze that consumed a two-story home in Attleboro; several explosions were heard, which the fire chief attributed to shotgun shells going off.

“There was just nothing they could do,” a fire-watching witness told WPRI. “That house was a total loss in like five minutes.”

Vellano, a defensive tackle, played a combined 21 games for the Patriots in 2013 and 2014 (winning a Super Bowl ring), spent time on their practice squad in 2015 and was invited back for training camp this year. The Patriots, minus suspended quarterback Tom Brady, open Sunday night against the Cardinals.

On Tuesday, Vellano received a second chance of sorts. The 27-year-old was signed to the Falcons practice squad, according to ESPN, in his final year of practice squad eligibility.