The August trade acquisition was placed on injured reserve in October.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. returned to New England Patriots practice on Wednesday, according to multiple reports, marking the start of his activation clock.

The organization now has 21 days to bring the offensive tackle back to the 53-man roster before he reverts to injured reserve for the rest of the year.

Wheatley, 26, was placed on IR amid a series of roster moves on Oct. 14. He marked a late addition to the Week 6 injury report and subsequently went from limited to out due to knee issue.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound converted tight end by way of Michigan, Stony Brook and Morgan State went undrafted in 2020. An opportunity in The Spring League followed before stints with the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns.

Wheatley, who visited Foxborough for a workout in 2022, was acquired leading up to the summer’s cutdown deadline in exchange for running back Pierre Strong Jr. He appeared in his first NFL games beyond the preseason versus the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, seeing five snaps on special teams.

The 3-10 Patriots host the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Matchups with the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets round out the schedule.