What Bill Belichick Said About Three Patriots Eligible To Come Off IR

The Patriots need a lot of help, to say the least. And, to borrow a phrase from Joe Judge’s new sweatshirts, “no one” is coming to save them.

Nevertheless, reinforcements could be on the way for New England.

Three players are eligible to resume practicing and come off injured reserve this week: receiver Tyquan Thornton, cornerback Jack Jones and offensive lineman Riley Reiff. Additionally, defensive lineman Trey Flowers and special teamer Cody Davis can come off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Thornton, Jones and Reiff are dealing with shoulder, hamstring and knee injuries, respectively. Davis is working his way back from last season’s serious knee injury, and Flowers, who signed in August, is getting back in football shape after being sidelined for much of the offseason.

So, could any of them return to the field this week? Bill Belichick was asked that question the morning after the Patriots suffered a disastrous road loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

“Yeah, we’ll see how that goes,” Belichick said. “That’s a possibility. As players come into that range of being eligible, then we ramp up the activity that they do to see how close they are and how well-prepared they are. So, some of that will depend on how things went over the weekend and how things go Monday and Tuesday here before Wednesday’s practice for players like that.

“So, we’ll see how that goes. Maybe.”

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Thornton seemingly has a good chance of practicing this week. The second-year receiver was in the locker room last week, a potential sign he’s on the cusp of returning.

The 2022 second-round pick still hasn’t proven anything at the NFL level, but the Patriots need his speed on offense.

As for Jones, a recent report indicated he could be out until midseason. Some have speculated his IR stint really is a de facto team suspension for his off-field legal issues, but there haven’t been any reports to corroborate that conjecture. Regardless, the Patriots would benefit from his return, especially if standout rookie corner Christian Gonzalez misses time with the shoulder injury he suffered Sunday.

The respective statuses of Reiff, Flowers and Davis remain a mystery.

The 1-3 Patriots will look to get back on track this Sunday when they host the 2-2 New Orleans Saints. Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.