FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots left guard Logan Mankins had a slight limp as he strolled to the podium Thursday to meet with the media, and he wouldn't commit to his status for Saturday's game against the Broncos.
Mankins, who suffered a knee injury in Week 16, returned to practice this week, though his participation was limited. He missed the first game of his career in the regular-season finale against the Bills, and he also sat out two weeks of practices.
"It felt good [to return to practice]," Mankins said. "I got to move around a little bit out there."
But how is that knee feeling?
"It's still day to day," Mankins said. "We'll see. No plans yet. Just taking it one day at a time, and see what happens."
Mankins, like all of the Patriots' offensive linemen, wears knee braces, "to prevent something like that," he said, noting the injury could have been worse if he wasn't wearing any protection.
Mankins' toughness is never in question, but he's clearly still bothered by the knee. Earlier Thursday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked about Mankins' progress, and though he didn't address Mankins' situation specifically, Belichick did note they'll "probably have some game-time decisions."
At this point, it looks like Mankins would have to play through some pain, but the Pro Bowler's presence would definitely be beneficial to New England's line.
"I've been limited all week," Mankins said. "I'm not going to get into it too much. It's day to day. I'm working on it and not sure what's going to happen yet."
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