FOXBORO -- Dion Lewis returned to practice for the Patriots on Thursday afternoon. He has not practiced all season and has been on the physically unable to perform list since before the start of training camp.
The clock has now started on the deadline for the Patriots to activate Lewis. The team has three weeks to place him on their 53-man roster. Should the Patriots make the most of that window, they would not activate him until the days leading up to their Week 11 game against the 49ers. He is eligible to be activated as soon as this week and could, in theory, be on the roster for this weekend's matchup with the Bills. The Patriots have an open roster spot at the moment.
Lewis suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 of last season and was progressing well until enduring a stress fracture to his patella. In order to repair the fracture, Lewis underwent a surgical procedure that required screws to be inserted to the affected area.
On Thursday, the Patriots conducted practice in full pads, and the media availbility portion of the session included only stretching and warmups so Lewis was not seen participating in drills.
Lewis established himself as one of the most dynamic backs in the league last season, catching 36 passes for 388 yards and two scores. He also averaged 4.8 yards per carry and ran for two scores, forcing 43 missed tackles in seven games.