The New England Patriots backfield just got a little deeper. According to multiple reports, Bill Belichick and the Patriots have activated running back Sony Michel from the short-term injured reserve. Michel suffered a knee injury back in Week 3’s win against the Las Vegas Raiders and first returned to practice on November 5th.
The #Patriots are activating RB Sony Michel off Injured Reserve and are waiving OL Hjalte Froholdt to make room on the roster, source said. A sign Michel will play tomorrow.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2020
Sony Michel Activated From Short-Term Injured Reserve
Prior to his injury, Michel is coming off arguably the best game of his three-year career. While splitting snaps with Rex Burkhead and J.J. Taylor, Michel recorded 117 rushing yards on just nine carries to go along with two receptions for 23 yards. Michel had a 48-yard run in this game while demonstrating a burst and agility he hasn’t shown since his time at Georgia. Through three games of action, Michel has 26 carries for 173 yards and a touchdown and a 75.5 PFF grade.
In Michel’s absence, Damien Harris has emerged and taken over the early-down role. After starting the season on the short-term injured reserve, Harris came back on the field in Week 4 and has played like one of the better running backs in the league. During his six games on the field, Harris has recorded 471 rushing yards and one touchdown on 85 carries to go along with two receptions for 26 yards. Chances are, these two will split carries for the remainder of the season, with Rex Burkhead handling receiving duties while also serving as a change of pace back.
Michel originally entered the NFL as a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. After missing Week 1 with an injury, Michel became the de-facto starter after Jeremy Hill tore his ACL. Overall, Michel appeared in 13 regular season games, recording 209 carries for 931 yards and six touchdown. During that postseason run, Michel recorded 71 carries for 336 yards and six touchdowns.
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