Injury update: Patriots WR Danny Amendola was hurt on another punt return

New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury, but returned to the field on Thursday. The Herald’s Jeff Howe has more.

“Amendola hyperextended his knee during a punt return Sunday against the Falcons, according to a source,” Howe reports. “It’s not an ideal injury, but it’s also not a major ordeal. The 31-year-old, who has a history of knee injuries, could play through it Sunday against the Chargers, but it also wouldn’t be a shock if the Patriots decided to dial back his workload with the bye week on the horizon.”

Howe notes that Amendola’s injury is day-to-day and that he could still be a part of the Patriots plans on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, if only in a smaller capacity.

Hopefully Amendola will be fully healthy after the bye week and look for players like James White, Rex Burkhead, and Phillip Dorsett to see an uptick in opportunities if Amendola has his role reduced.

Also, can the Patriots please just take a hint? According to ProJo’s Mark Daniels, Amendola has suffered four injuries in three seasons on punt returns.

Please take Amendola off of punt returns. Give the job to Patrick Chung or Dion Lewis or Phillip Dorsett or literally no one and the Patriots would be better off. Seriously. Just let the ball bounce off the ground every single punt and let the other team down it. That would be preferable to another injury to Amendola and it avoids the twice-weekly “illegal block in the back penalties.” Problem solved.

Get well soon, Danny. The Patriots need you when it matters most.