What Reggie Gilliam’s return designation means for the Patriots

Reggie Gilliam's return from injured reserve marks a new chapter for the New England Patriots. The fullback, sidelined due to knee and ankle injuries since early October, made a triumphant return at practice on Wednesday, marking the first time the team had a traditional fullback in action this season. This development signals that Gilliam is now officially designated to return from IR, opening the door for him to potentially join the game-day roster as early as Sunday against the Detroit Lions. The team has 21 days to make this decision before the window closes.

With the Patriots having a full 53-man roster for their upcoming trip to Germany, activating Gilliam won't require them to make additional moves. However, the team currently has 52 players on the active roster, leaving only one spot available for Gilliam's activation without needing to cut someone else. The interior offensive lineman, Greg Van Roten, is another player in the 21-day window and could also be activated, though the team will have to remove one player from the active roster if both Gilliam and Van Roten return.

The NFL allows teams to bring back a maximum of eight players from injured reserve during the regular season. Gilliam has used up five of those spots, with previous activations for wide receivers A.J. Brown and Mack Hollins and offensive linemen Marcus Bryan and Greg Van Roten. The team currently has three spots left for the remaining six eligible players on injured reserve, with Romeo Doubs and Alijah Vera-Tucker being the most likely candidates to be activated.