FOXBORO, Mass. — At this point in the week, there's no telling whether or not Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty will be ready to return to the field Sunday against the Colts.
McCourty injured his shoulder two weeks ago during the Patriots' victory against the Jets. He missed three practices that week but returned Saturday prior to New England's win against the Chiefs, and he has participated in their last five sessions. McCourty was limited during Wednesday's walkthrough.
McCourty didn't travel with the team last weekend to Philadelphia, which meant he was ruled out Saturday at the latest. Given that, it's tough to tell how close he is to getting back on the game field.
McCourty hasn't spoken to the media since the injury, either, which can sometimes be a tipping point to whether or not a player is ready to play again. While it's not an exact science, injured players hardly ever speak to reporters during the week leading up to a game if they're not going to play.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday that McCourty is improving, though Belichick didn't say if his star cornerback could play against the Colts.
"I don't know," Belichick said before Wednesday's practice. "He's doing better. He's definitely improving. We'll see what he can do this week. He was able to do a little bit in practice last week. We'll see whether he can do more than that this week. We haven't practiced since Friday so I'm not sure exactly how much improvement he's had. We'll have to see when we get out on the field."
