Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
When the New England Patriots let go of Wes Welker this offseason, they thought they had a solid backup plan in receiver Danny Amendola. He was deemed a bigger, faster version of Welker who could step in and fill his role right away.
Unfortunately for the team, there is one thing that they did not account for when looking at Amendola: he is made of glass.
He has missed 20 games in the past two seasons, showing an inability to stay on the field consistently. There is a legitimate question as to whether Amendola can serve as Tom Brady‘s primary target like Welker was able to do so well in his tenure with the team.
Now, with the Patriots heading into week four of the preseason, he has already missed one game with an unspecified leg or foot injury. He has also not been practicing for nearly a week. Although there has been no word on whether he will miss any regular season time as a result of this injury, you would have to be concerned at the very least if you are the Patriots.
They brought this guy in with huge expectations to fill, knowing full well that his main obstacle to overcome would be his injury history. The fact that he is hurt before the season has even started, even if the injury is thought to be minor, is not a good sign for his long-term durability. The Patriots and their fans may be starting to wonder whether he will be able to stay on the field when the games matter in September and beyond.
Do you believe Amendola will be able to stay on the field this year for the Patriots? Are you worried about his health? Could he be the next Welker? Feel free to comment on the subject in the “comments” section below.
