The New England Patriots were back at practice on Wednesday, starting the on-field preparation for their upcoming regular season finale against the Miami Dolphins. Among the players present were two whose
21-day practice window has now been opened.
Starting left tackle Will Campbell and reserve cornerback Alex Austin, who currently both reside on injured reserve, made their practice comeback.
Campbell, 21, was placed on injured reserve following the Patriots’ Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The first-round draft pick had suffered a knee injury in the game that was later diagnosed as a sprained MCL. He was subsequently placed on IR, while the team remained hopeful that he would be able to come back at a later point in the season.
Austin, 24, also was sent to injured reserve following the Patriots’ game in Cincinnati. He had suffered an ankle injury that prompted him to be shut down for four weeks.
Besides Campbell and Austin, the Patriots also had defensive tackle Milton Williams present for Wednesday’s session inside Gillette Stadium. Williams had returned to practice last week after being moved to IR because of an ankle injury sustained in Week 11.
On the flip side, several players were not spotted during the media portion of practice. Offensive linemen Jared Wilson and Morgan Moses, fullback Jack Westover, defensive tackles Christian Barmore and Khyiris Tonga and linebacker Robert Spillane were not present. Barmore, who is facing legal issues at the moment, was out because of an illness; Moses addressed the media at his locker.
The Patriots will host the Dolphins on Sunday for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.
