New England Patriots: Josh McDaniels not rushing Malcolm Mitchell back

As the New England Patriots prepare for the playoffs, they are hoping to get wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell back.

For the entire 2017 regular season, the New England Patriots have been without wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell. As a rookie last season, Mitchell ended up being a solid player for the Patriots offense as a fourth-round pick.

In the regular season last year, Mitchell totaled 32 receptions, 401 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Mitchell was a key player in the Super Bowl win against the Atlanta Falcons, as he totaled six receptions for 70 receiving yards in the comeback win.

Unfortunately for Mitchell, he has been out the entire season due to a knee injury. Mitchell was recently activated from the injured reserved and returned to practice last week. Since Mitchell is beginning his comeback, it is still unclear whether or not the Patriots will place him on the 53-man roster.

Recently, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels talked with Mike Reiss of ESPN.com about the status of Mitchell. Here’s what he had to say.

"“Those decisions are certainly going to be made by Coach [Bill] Belichick and our medical people, but it was good to have him out there. Not sure what that will lead to, as with every player coming back from some type of an injury or rehab,” McDaniels said Monday on his weekly conference call with reporters.”"

For the Patriots, most of their production from the wide receiver position has come from Brandin Cooks or Danny Amendola this season. Phillip Dorsett has been the other main wide receiver, but he has yet to do much as a mid-season acquisition from the Indianapolis Colts. While Rob Gronkowski is the top option for the Patriots, having more help at wide receiver would be welcomed.

A lot certainly depends on how healthy Mitchell is to whether or not he will be playing in the playoffs. However, a healthy Mitchell could certainly help the Patriots at wide receiver. Unfortunately for Mitchell, coming back off injured reserve at this point in the season is difficult.

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In addition to the possible return of Mitchell, the Patriots will also hope to have Rex Burkhead and James White at 100 percent for the playoffs. Both have missed games toward the end of the season, and that has resulted in Dion Lewis carrying the load. While Lewis has shined for the Patriots, getting other key offensive weapons back will be important for the playoffs.