The oft-injured Patriots receiver Danny Amendola believes he’ll be ready to return to the field on Sunday after missing last week with a concussion. And he doesn’t believe he’s injury-prone.
Although Amendola has now missed 24 of his teams’ last 38 games dating back to 2011, he told USA Today that he sees no reason he needs to shy away from contact over the middle in order to keep himself healthy.
“I’m not going to change,” Amendola said. “That’s just the way I am. It’s a rough game. Everybody knows that. I love the physical part of the game. So I’m not going to change. I’m ready to go this week. So really, that’s the only thing that I can focus on.”
Amendola may be aware that many people think he just won’t be able to withstand the collisions of a 16-game season, but he says that talk doesn’t bother him.
“I don’t really listen to it,” Amendola said. “I know how I play and what I can bring to the team. So I’m not really interested in hearing anything else.”
Amendola is a tough guy and a good player when healthy, but after suffering both a groin injury and a concussion this season, it’s fair to wonder if he’s going to turn out to be the offensive version of Bob Sanders, the former Colts safety who was a difference-maker when he was on the field, but whose body just couldn’t withstand all the collisions that go with playing in the NFL. Amendola can’t help the Patriots if he can’t stay on the field, and so far in New England he hasn’t been able to stay on the field.