The stress fracture in Aaron Dobson’s left foot has stunted his progress in the first full offseason of his NFL career, as the Patriots wide receiver awaits a more definitive diagnosis that will come down within the next two weeks.
To this point, Dobson has been prescribed a heavy dose of rest that eliminated running from his offseason regimen at home in West Virginia, according to a team source. But Dobson returned to the Foxboro area within the past few days and will continue his workouts at Gillette Stadium before the medical staff determines if his foot has healed. He has been able to strengthen his upper body in the meantime.
In the next 10-14 days, Dobson will find out if the rest worked as a recovery method or if he’ll need surgery to repair the foot, according to the source. It’s unclear how long the recovery period would be, but it sounds unlikely he’d be cleared in time for the April 21 launch of the Patriots’ offseason program if he needs the procedure.
If healthy, Dobson would be a breakout candidate in his second season. He saw 10 targets in three of his first five games and has one of the best QBs in the league throwing him the ball. However, the injury is worrisome, especially since the Patriots are so tight-lipped about injuries.
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