New England Patriots' rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry practiced for the first time on Tuesday after being sidelined with an ankle injury before the team’s season opener. In an Instagram post after his first practice, Harry shared a photo of him in action with the caption “Felt great to be back out there wit the boys. #GodsPlan.” Veteran quarterback Tom Brady gave words of encouragement to Harry, commenting “let’s keep it going”. Much is expected from Harry, the first wide receiver taken by Patriots' Head Coach Bill Belichick in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Harry still has to remain in the injured reserve for two more weeks before he can return to action. Meaning, Harry will be sidelined until Week 9 when they take on the Baltimore Ravens.
If he plays, Harry can provide much-needed depth to the Patriots' wide receiving corps consisting of Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers, and Gunner Olszewski. However, it also remains to be seen if Brady will trust Harry as a consistent target on offense. The Patriots are reportedly eyeing a veteran wide receiver before the Oct. 29 trade deadline, who can provide immediate help for Brady. The 42-year-old Brady only had three touchdown passes with three interceptions in his last three games after recording seven scoring strikes with no picks in his first three outings.
The undefeated Patriots will next face the New York Jets on Monday Night Football at Metlife Stadium.
Dorsett helping Harry’s transition
In an interview, veteran wide receiver Phillip Dorsett said he’s helping Harry transition back onto the field after missing a significant portion of the Patriots’ regular season. “Just making sure that he’s in shape mentally, physically, emotionally, making sure he’s ready to play,’ said Dorsett, whose Gillette Stadium locker is next to Harry’s.
According to Dorsett, Harry has some catching up to do but believes that he will be fine. As one of the team’s veterans, Dorsett said Harry can help the Patriots succeed if the rookie wide receiver succeeds on the field. “We all have one goal. We want to win. And we know that he knows that he can help us win,” Dorsett stressed.
Brady hoping for tackle Isaiah Wynn’s return from IR
Aside from Harry, the Patriots can activate another player from the injured reserve provided that he was on the 53-man roster before he hit the IR. Under that condition, the Patriots can activate only one of four players, including fullbacks James Develin and Jakob Johnson, kicker Stephen Gostkowski and tackle Isaiah Wynn. In an interview with Jim Gray of Westwood One, Brady said he’s hoping that it could be Wynn, his starting left tackle in their Week 1 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. “We have one (player) that we’re hoping can return from injury: Isaiah Wynn, who was our left tackle to start the year,” Brady said. Wynn is eligible to return to practice after the Patriots’ Week 9 matchup with the Ravens.
