Brandon LaFell was one of the first Patriots on the field for Sunday's game at AT&T Stadium. And this was only of note because Brandon LaFell was not playing in the Patriots' game Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
LaFell, on the PUP list with a foot injury, can begin practicing with the team following its Week 6 game against the Colts. He could potentially play in Week 7 against the Jets.
Any player who begins the season on PUP must sit out the first six weeks. When the player is eligible to begin practicing, teams then have a three-week window to either add the player to the active roster, put the player on injured reserve or release the player. The latter two don't seem to be options with LaFell, who finished the 2014 season on an absolute tear.
It took about a month for LaFell -- and, really, the whole Pats offense -- to find its stride a year ago, but once LaFell clicked with Tom Brady, he became a vital piece to the offense. If you remove his first three games in 2014 and replace them with his three playoff performances, LaFell's 16-game numbers were 83 receptions, 1,026 yards and nine touchdowns, the story said. It's unclear if LaFell will physically be ready to go in Week 7. If he begins practicing on Oct. 21 -- the first practice following the Week 6 game at Indianapolis -- the Pats have until Nov. 11 to activate him. LaFell may be worth grabbing at this point if you're looking for help at WR.
Colts news
