MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A pair of questionable Patriots were put through early workouts by the medical staff at Hard Rock Stadium. Christian Gonzalez (hip) received good news, while Deatrich Wise (foot) did not.
Gonzalez was the first out of the Patriots tunnel, clad in a tee shirt and shorts. After popping up on Friday’s injury report with a new hip ailment, the second-year cornerback went through a number of agility drills. At their conclusion, there was a lengthy huddle between trainer Jim Whalen, strength coach Deron Harmon, cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington.
Ultimately, it yielded a positive result, as Gonzalez is active for Sunday’s date with the Dolphins.
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A few minutes after that, Wise emerged. The captain has been nursing a foot injury for two weeks — he suffered it in Chicago — and returned to practice for the first time Friday. Though Wise wore shoulder pads and a jersey, he wasn’t ready to play. The defensive tackle clearly wasn’t 100% as he fired off the line of scrimmage and grimaced. After conferring with the medical staff, the Patriots made Wise inactive
There were no major surprises on New England’s inactive list beyond that.
Jaquelin Roy (neck) had already been ruled out, while K.J. Osborn, Tyrese Robinson, and Titus Leo are healthy scratches, and Joe Milton III will once again serve as the emergency third quarterback. Though Milton has yet to earn an active role on game day, the Patriots are pleased with the progress he’s making behind the scenes.
“You talk about a guy who is developing at a pretty good rate, it’s Joe,” Jerod Mayo said on Friday. “We all know he can throw the ball down the field, but his progressions and things like that have definitely gotten better, and he’ll be a solid player in this league.”
