Patriots receiver Danny Amendola says he’ll be ready to play on Sunday against the Dolphins.
“I had a good week and I’m ready to go,” Amendola told the Providence Journal. “I feel as good as I can. I’m not really worried about the past. I’m worried about the future. I’m excited. I look forward to Sunday.”
However, it’s important to remember that just because a player says on Friday that he’s ready to go, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll play on Sunday. If Amendola feels any symptoms on Saturday or Sunday, the Patriots would, by NFL rules, have to shut him down for the week. Amendola knows it’s still not 100 percent that he’s playing.
“They’ve got protocols and stuff now with a bunch of head injuries. You’ve got to kind of follow along,” he said. “You might feel good and feel ready to go and the doctors might not let you go. I feel good now and I’m ready to go. I’ve done pretty much everything they’ve asked me to do. I’m healthy and I’m ready to play.”
While Amendola expects to play, the Patriots need him not just to play but to play like he did in Week One, when he caught 10 passes for 104 yards. Of the Patriots’ six games since then, Amendola has played in only two and caught six passes for 55 yards. That’s not the kind of production the Patriots were hoping for when they made Amendola the heir apparent to Wes Welker, who has 28 more catches, 315 more yards and eight more touchdowns than Amendola this season.