The New England Patriots received a backfield boost Monday in the form of Rex Burkhead.
Burkhead officially was activated off injured reserve and will be eligible to play this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The 28-year-old running back had been on IR since suffering a neck injury in Week 3.
To make room for Burkhead on the 53-man roster, the Patriots released offensive lineman Matt Tobin.
Burkhead is the most versatile back on the Patriots’ roster, carrying the ball 64 times for 264 yards and five touchdowns while catching 30 passes for 254 yards and three scores in 10 games last season. He rejoins a position group that features leading rusher Sony Michel, pass-catching ace James White and converted receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
Before his injury, Burkhead carried 24 times for 86 yards and caught three passes for 31 yards in three games.
“We’re very fortunate in the backs we have, and now getting Rex back is going to be just another thing we can add,” center David Andrews said Monday. “He’s such a great player, he’s got great vision, runs hard. Kind of tough with the injury, but having him back, I’m excited. I love blocking for our backs, and the more guys we can get in there fresh and keep rolling through, I think it’s more the better.”
The Patriots are coming off their most productive rushing performance of the season, racking up 215 yards on the ground Sunday in a 27-13 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Michel and White both set career highs in rushing yards (133 and 73, respectively), and New England’s run game benefited from the returns of right guard Shaq Mason and tight end Rob Gronkowski.
A strong rushing presence has yielded positive results for the Patriots this season. They’ve averaged 136.1 rushing yards per game in their eight wins and just 70.3 per game in their three defeats.
