Malcolm Mitchell Could Play Next Week

The Patriots were able to survive last night’s playoff matchup with the underdog Texans, but New England’s offense was uncharacteristically sluggish and the 34-16 final score did not tell the full story. Luckily for the Pats, however, rookie wideout Malcolm Mitchell could be returning for the AFC Championship Game next week. Per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), there is “strong optimism” that Mitchell could be back for the game that could catapult New England to yet another Super Bowl appearance.

Dec 4, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell (19) is tackled by Los Angeles Rams defensive back Michael Jordan (35) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

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Mitchell, who was selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, put together a nice rookie season, catching 32 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He demonstrated an early aptitude in grasping New England’s unique offensive scheme, and he was able to carry that success into the regular season.

However, Mitchell suffered a knee injury in the team’s Week 16 contest against the Jets and was inactive for the Week 17 tilt against the Dolphins. After being limited in practice in the week leading up to last night’s divisional round playoff game, Mitchell was officially deactivated prior to kickoff. Newly-acquired Michael Floyd saw a pass bounce off his hands for an interception last night–although the throw was not an especially good one–so Mitchell, who has established a strong rapport with Tom Brady, could take back some of the slot receiver snaps that Floyd has enjoyed in Mitchell’s absence.

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