It appeared the New England Patriots had a chance at a Week 4 upset with the San Francisco 49ers shorthanded, but that outlook took a different turn heading into Sunday's matchup.
Deebo Samuel on Thursday returned to the practice field after Kyle Shanahan told reporters last week that the star wide receiver would "probably miss a couple weeks" due to a calf strain. The 28-year-old was a limited participant in practice along with George Kittle, who missed Week 3 due to a hamstring injury.
Kittle told reporters Thursday that he was "feeling fantastic" and that he was "very excited to play football," per ESPN's Nick Wagoner.