An important offensive weapon made his return to the New England Patriots practice field Wednesday.
Wide receiver Nelson Agholor was present at the Patriots’ first practice of Week 18, per Mike Dussault of Patriots.com.
Agholor had not played or practiced since suffering a concussion during New England’s Week 15 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He sat out the previous six practices and two games — a loss to the Buffalo Bills and a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Though he’s been unable to match his 2020 production in his first season with New England, Agholor’s speed and deep-threat ability add an important element to the Patriots’ offense. The 28-year-old has started 12 games this season, catching 36 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns.
Rookie outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins also returned to practice Wednesday. Perkins, who has yet to dress for a game this season, has been on injured reserve since mid-December.
Safety Kyle Dugger was not spotted at practice, nor were defensive back Myles Bryant and offensive linemen Yodny Cajuste and Will Sherman, who are on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The reason for Dugger’s absence was unclear.
Ahead of Sunday’s road matchup with the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots opted to hold Wednesday’s practice inside the Socios.com Field House. Per NFL rules, only team-employed media members were permitted to attend.
“There were a number of factors involved,” head coach Bill Belichick said in a Wednesday morning video conference when asked about practicing indoors. “We’ll be in there (Wednesday), and we’ll see what (Thursday) brings.”
The Patriots are scheduled to practice again Thursday and Friday before flying to Miami, where they are 2-6 in their last eight visits.
