The trade acquisition will end his season with two in-game appearances.
The New England Patriots have until later today to decide whether or not to activate Tyrone Wheatley Jr. from their injured reserve list. However, it appears the 21-day window will be shut without the offensive tackle moving onto the team’s active roster.
As head coach Bill Belichick said on Wednesday morning, he does not anticipate the move to be made ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline.
“No, I don’t think so,” Belichick said.
An undrafted free agent in 2020, Wheatley Jr. spent time with the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns to open his career. He did not appear in any regular season or playoff games over his first three season, but was nonetheless acquired via trade by the Patriots in late August.
With the team experiencing injury issues at the offensive tackle position, it decided to send sophomore running back Pierre Strong Jr. to Cleveland in return for the 26-year-old. Since arriving in New England, however, Wheatley Jr. has had a limited impact.
A reserve option throughout his first season with the club, Wheatley Jr. saw action in only two games without receiving any snaps on the offensive side of the ball. All five of his 2023 snaps came as a member of the field goal and extra point protection unit. However, he suffered a knee injury in mid October and was eventually moved to injured reserve.
Wheatley Jr. returned to practice last month, giving the team three weeks to activate him. And despite questions surrounding starting left tackle Trent Brown, who seemingly was a healthy scratch last week versus the Buffalo Bills, that move was not made.
As a result, Wheatley Jr. becomes the fourth Patriots offensive tackle to end the season on IR. Offseason signings Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff as well as returning veteran Conor McDermott are also on the injury list as well.
“It was not the way we thought it would happen when we acquired some of the guys at the beginning of the year, and then more,” said Belichick on Wednesday. “But it is what it is.”
The Patriots will host the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The two teams’ season finale will be kicked off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 7.