Danny Amendola Injury: Updates on Patriots WR's Knee and Return

Scott PolacekNov 23, 2015

New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola suffered a knee injury in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills and consequently missed Week 12's defeat to the Denver Broncos. However, he is ready to return.

Continue for updates.

Amendola Active for Week 13

Sunday, Dec. 6

The Patriots announced that Amendola was available against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Latest on Amendola's Practice Status

Thursday, Dec. 3

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported that Amendola was limited in practice.

Amendola Comments on Recovery, Potential Return

Thursday, Dec. 3

"I don’t want to miss a game, and I missed a game," said Amendola, per CSNNE's Phil Perry, who provided additional comments:

"
We’re here to play football. I’m going to try to get back out there as quick as I can.
[...]
It’s hard [to sit out]. It's hard. Obviously put a lot of work in during the year. I want to be out there every game. Gotta deal with it. I can’t wait to get out there.
[...]
I didn’t think it was bad at first, and then I couldn’t run, like, turn over my legs at a high rate. I didn’t want to hobble around out there and get killed.
"

When asked about playing on Sunday, he told reporters on Wednesday, "We'll see how it goes."

Amendola's Injury Further Depleted Patriots' Offensive Targets

Amendola had nine receptions for 117 yards before exiting the Bills game. Heading into Week 11, he had registered 40 receptions for 403 yards and two touchdowns this term.

This setback was concerning because Amendola had established plenty of momentum at the end of the 2014 season and was a significant part of the passing attack in the middle of the 2015 campaign.

He caught 11 passes and three touchdowns (including one score in the Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks) in the postseason to make up for a slow start to the year (15 catches in the first 14 games). He topped the century mark in receiving yards in Week 6 and settled into a role as a complementary piece behind Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

Amendola appeared to turn the corner as the consistent offensive playmaker the Patriots envisioned when they signed him as a free agent in 2013. With Aaron Dobson suffering an ankle injury in the win over Buffalo, Edelman on the shelf with a fractured foot and Gronkowski dealing with a knee injury, the Patriots' depth in the passing attack is becoming a giant concern for the team moving forward.