Because LaFell is not on the active roster, the Pats aren’t required to list his status on the injury report.
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Brandon LaFell practiced this week and could be activated before Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Rapoport was also first to note that.
LaFell was the Patriots’ No. 2 receiver last season, when he had 74 catches, to Julian Edelman’s 92.
The New England passing game rolled through the early season, even with LaFell out. “We’ll see. Like we always do, we’ll kind of look at things after today’s practice, after Friday, ” said the coach. “No need to take that chance when we got guys who can step in and make plays, and I can just get fully healthy”. “I had to sit and wait and get back to 100”, said LaFell.
“It seems like he’s ready”, Phil Perry said on Reporting from Foxboro. “He’s been able to run at full speed”. Ultimately, however, he agreed with the decision to go on the PUP list.
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Other than missing “three or four games” his freshman year at LSU with broken ribs, LaFell has never had to deal with being away from the game for so long. “I’m glad I didn’t have to go through that”, he said with a chuckle. But I’ve played this game for six years. If LaFell does play Sunday, it will be against a familiar face in the secondary, the Jets’ Darrelle Revis. “It wouldn’t be helpful to come back against Revis any week. It’s kind of be the right setup but I think it helps him and I think it helps the player that he’s trying to instruct”. It’s going to be a battle.
