It's possible the New England Patriots could have Ty Montgomery back on the field as early as Sunday's Week 1 game against the Dolphins in Miami.
Montgomery suffered an ankle injury in the third and final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was carted to the locker room and didn't return. The injury didn't look good, but Montgomery was not placed on injured reserve.
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Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday that every player who isn't on IR has a chance to play in the season opener.
"I expect everybody that can be ready to go will be ready to go next week," Belichick told WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show". "I know everybody's working very hard to be 100 percent healthy and to be ready for the game -- players, coaches, staff, everybody.
"So we'll see with the players, how that develops, what kind of condition they're in, being able to play. But I know they're working hard to be there, and we'll just have to take it day by day on everybody and see where they're at. But hopefully they'll all make it. I think they have a shot. If they didn't, like Tyquan [Thornton] didn't, we put him on IR. But everybody else should have a shot. So we'll just see where they get to."
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Belichick was asked later Tuesday morning by reporters if Montgomery and offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn would travel to Miami, and he said they would. The Patriots are traveling to Miami earlier than usual. They are flying down Tuesday instead of the normal Saturday flight for a Sunday afternoon game.
Montgomery carved out an important role in training camp as a versatile player capable of picking up yards as a running back or wide receiver. His pass-catching ability also makes him a valuable third-down option for quarterback Mac Jones.
The Patriots likely will need all the help they can get offensively against an explosive Dolphins team loaded with elite talent at the skill positions. This Week 1 matchup could easily be a high-scoring affair.