FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have one more injured reserve spot from which a player can return to the roster in 2017, and second-year receiver Malcolm Mitchell is one of the top candidates. Mitchell shared the following post on his Instagram page Monday:
Mitchell landed on injured reserve Sept. 7, the night of the season opener, because of a knee issue. He is scheduled to be evaluated this week and is "getting better, for sure," according to someone close to him and familiar with his progress. Whether that progress results in him being the player designated to return from IR will ultimately be up to the team.
The Patriots have Chris Hogan (recovering from a shoulder injury), Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola and Phillip Dorsett as their top four receivers at this time. Mitchell, who earned the trust of quarterback Tom Brady by making some big catches in clutch situations (e.g. Super Bowl LI, with six catches for 70 yards), would add another layer of depth coming down the home stretch of the season and potentially into the playoffs.
In 14 games during the 2016 season, Mitchell had 32 catches for 401 yards and four touchdowns.