Devin McCourty returns to Patriots practice after Week 17 concussion

The Patriots received encouraging news on the injury front Wednesday when safety Devin McCourty returned to practice after not practicing at all last week because of a concussion suffered in Week 17.

Good news for the Patriots: Devin McCourty cleared to be on the field for today’s practice.

Will have to get through the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol to play Sunday. Unclear where he is in that process, but getting back to practice a step in the right direction for him.
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) January 9, 2019

McCourty banged heads with a teammate in the Patriots' win over the New York Jets in the regular-season finale. He's a very important part of New England's defense as one of the unit's leaders and best players.

The veteran safety's presence at practice also gave the Patriots perfect attendance at Wednesday's session.

The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday for an AFC Divisional Round matchup at Gillette Stadium.

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.