Brandon LaFell is back on his feet.
The New England Patriots wide receiver told Sirius XM NFL Radio on Wednesday that he's shed the walking boot he wore on his left foot during the team's string of offseason practices.
"Just a few lingering injuries that happened in the late part of the regular season that I just played through throughout the playoffs," LaFell told the station, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. "Finally got some time off to let my body heal up properly. I'm out of the boot now and I'm just looking forward to starting camp."
LaFell was a valuable addition for the Patriots last season, setting career highs for catches (74), yardage (953) and touchdowns (7). He accomplished that handiwork while dealing with a banged-up shoulder and toe, but told Around the NFL during Super Bowl Week that a sense of accountability inside New England's locker room compelled him to fight through the pain.
"(Tom) Brady. Vince (Wilfork), (Darrelle) Revis, Devin McCourty. Guys you see that are nicked up all year, but they're not complaining," LaFell said. "They're going out there playing through injuries and they practice at a high level every day. So you look at those guys, you're like, 'Man, they're not complaining about anything.' They're nicked up just as bad as you. These guys are older than you. And then they go out there and compete at a high level, so that makes you do the same thing."
LaFell told Sirius on Wednesday that he spent this offseason catching balls, staying "within the playbook" and continuing to "pick Brady's mind and try to get better."
So far, so good for one of the more recent converts to the Patriot Way.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Jason Pierre-Paul's firework incident, and reviews recent 'Making the Leap' candidates.
