Hunter Henry was back on the practice field Friday, but the New England Patriots still listed him as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. It was Henry’s first appearance of the week after he missed the first two practices, and the late-week return gave him a chance to suit up after an absence that had put his status in doubt.
The Patriots closed their final practice before Week 9 with Henry among seven players on the injury report who were tagged questionable, a group that leaves Sunday’s availability picture unsettled even with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium. Marcus Jones also returned Friday and carries no game designation, while Dre’Mont Jones and Gabe Jacas had been limited on Wednesday and Thursday.
Vrabel said the players who were able to get through Friday did not have a full workload, and that was not a fair standard to expect because practice cannot fully replicate game conditions. He added that the team would see how they came in the next day before making decisions on where they stood. That left Henry’s return meaningful, but not conclusive.
The rest of the report gave the Patriots a clearer look at who will not be available and who is trying to push through. Brown is set to miss his second consecutive game after a knee injury flared up in practice last week, and TreVeyon Henderson is sidelined again after an illness that resulted in hospitalization. Mack Hollins and Greg Van Roten are also looking to return from injured reserve.
For Henry, Friday changed the tone of the week without ending the question. He is back in the mix, but the final answer still belongs to Sunday, when the Patriots and Packers kick off and the team finds out how much that limited return will really mean.
