Running back Stevan Ridley wasn’t one of the 10 Patriots listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report of the week, but his status for Sunday’s game has been anything but definite this week.
Ridley was inactive for last week’s victory over the Texans and was benched in the first quarter of the team’s previous game after fumbling for the fourth time this season. Coach Bill Belichick said the benching wasn’t meant to send a message about the need to hold onto the ball, saying only that Ridley was behind others on the team’s depth chart at running back by way of further explanation.
That appears to have changed. Several reporters, including Adam Schefter of ESPN and Nick Underhill of MassLive.com, bring word that Ridley is expected to be on the active roster against the Browns. There’s no word on what his role will be with Shane Vereen, Brandon Bolden and LeGarrette Blount also in the mix, but there’s no reason to think the Patriots would have Ridley dress and then not use him.
Unless, of course, he puts the ball on the ground again. Should that happen, we might not see much of Ridley again this season.