DeVante Parker Status Revealed For Patriots Post-Bye Practice

The Patriots veteran wideout had missed the past two weeks while recovering from a knee injury.

FOXBORO — After a much-needed respite during their Week 10 bye, the New England Patriots returned to the practice fields on Monday.

Much to the benefit of the Patriots offense, wide receiver DeVante Parker was among those present.

Parker suffered a knee injury on the Patriots first play from scrimmage against the New York Jets in Week 8, a game which the Pats won 22-17. The Louisville product had not practiced since the injury and missed their 26-3 Week 9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Prior to his injury, Parker had been one of the Pats more notable big-play threats in 2022. The 29-year old had hauled in 15 passes for 321 yards and one touchdown, while averaging 21.4 yards-per-catch through New England’s first seven games. He is ranked second on the team in yards and touchdowns, and tied for third in receptions.

At 6-3, 219-pounds, Parker has the size and toughness to make contested catches, while giving quarterback Mac Jones a viable red zone target at the receiver position. Most notably, he is a true vertical presence on the perimeter, capable of winning his matchups both on the outside and downfield.

In his absence, rookie Tyquan Thornton, as well as veteran Kendrick Bourne provided proper support to top receiver Jakobi Meyers in New England’s three-wide sets. Still, the team will notably benefit from placing Parker back into the lineup.

In addition to Parker’s return, left tackle Trent Brown and defensive lineman Davon Godchaux were present for Monday’s media portion. The pair had missed the team’s lone practice of the bye week last Wednesday. However, the team welcomed back center David Andrews, after missing three weeks while recovering from a concussion.

The lone member of the team’s active roster to be absent on Monday was defensive lineman and special teamer DaMarcus Mitchell.

While the Pats typically hold three practices from Wednesday through Friday during game weeks, coach Bill Belichick added an additional day of preparation to keep the team’s skills sharp during the extended layoff.

“We try to do the things that we feel like will benefit us,” Belichick told reporters on Monday morning when asked about the extra practice. “So, obviously that’s a combination of things, but we’ll try to put some things together that we think will help our team.”

The Patriots will release their first injury report of the week following Wednesday’s practice before hosting the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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