Glenn May Return Sunday
🕑 Read Time: 3 minutes
Posted Under: 2001 Patriots Season
🕑 Read Time: 3 minutes
New England Patriots > Patriots Blog
FOXBORO, MA — After missing the last three weeks with a hamstring injury it appears that Terry Glenn may finally be returning to the line-up.
Despite the injury the Patriots wide receiver appeared to have quite a communication gap with head coach Bill Belichick last week. Last Wednesday Belichick said it was doubtful that he would see Glenn on the practice field and that it was unlikely that he would play on Sunday either.
“[Glenn] wasn’t able to play [against Denver] and until he can get out there and practice with the team and perform with the team I think he is still doubtful for this week,” said Belichick last week. “He is getting better, but until he does that I don’t think it can be any more that.”
Glenn reportedly said later that day that he expected to play and was surprised to hear that Belichick didn’t expect him to be on the field.
He was inactive for Sunday’s game against Atlanta, and it was also learned that day that he had earned the right from the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ) to pursue a disability lawsuit against the league, claiming he suffers from chronic depression which caused him to miss a drug test that resulted in a suspension and lost wages. When the team arrived later on that night in Foxboro Glenn and his agent Jim Gould reportedly sat down with Belichick and other Patriots officials to try and work things out.
It appears they finally made some progress.
On Monday Belichick appeared to be happy that the two sides had talked, and said that things seemed to be headed in the right direction.
“Terry [Glenn] is improving and I think that he will be questionable this week,” said Belichick. “It looks like we are making some progress there, but we will just have to wait and see on Wednesday where we are on the field, but it seems to be headed in the right direction.
If Glenn is headed back to the gridiron it comes at a critical time as the team just placed receiver Curtis Jackson on injured reserve on Tuesday. Their depth at that position has been an issue, and even defensive back Terrell Buckley saw time on the field for one play last Sunday in Atlanta.
Despite all the off-field problems that Glenn has had throughout both preseason as well as this year, Belichick has kept a pretty even demeanor when dealing with the situation. Now it is up to Glenn to show him that they have turned a corner and are headed in the right direction.
Belichick said last week that he’s always felt the two have had a solid player/coach relationship.
“I have said before, I think my relationship with Terry through the years, not just this year, but over a period of time going back to ’96, has been a solid player/coach relationship.”
“That is what I would like for it to be. That is what I hope it will continue to be, but it takes two people to have a relationship. I can’t speak for anybody else and I am not trying to, but I would like for Terry, just as I would like for every other player on this team to be productive, to help us win, for us to help put them in productive situations so they can be successful and then everybody will live happily ever after if that is the case.”
Hopefully this marks the end of any further problems with Glenn for the remainder of the year. The team currently sits at 4-4 in a division that appears to be wide open, and with Glenn in the line-up things can only get better.
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