The New England Patriots are expected to get one of their most talented offensive players back in the lineup Sunday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium.
Rookie wide receiver Demario "Pop" Douglas is expected to return after missing the last two games with a concussion suffered against the New York Giants in Week 12. Douglas was removed from the injury report Friday.
"I think he's cleared the protocol," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told reporters Friday morning. "We’ll see how it goes today, but assuming no setbacks, he should be available."
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Douglas leads the Patriots with 410 receiving yards despite missing three games. He has tallied 36 receptions on a team-high 55 targets.
His expected return is a welcomed development for the Patriots given their injuries at wide receiver. The Patriots listed wideouts DeVante Parker (knee), Tyquan Thornton (hamstring) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) on Friday's injury report.
The Chiefs also have injuries to key players on offense. They've already ruled out starting running back Isiah Pacheco and left tackle Donovan Smith.