A pair of young Patriots will get a chance to show what they're made of in an important Week 2 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rookie running back Pierre Strong Jr. and second-year cornerback Shaun Wade will both be active on Sunday after being limited in practice all week with shoulder and ankle issues, respectively, and listed as questionable on Sunday. It will be Strong's NFL debut, and he might take over for the injured Ty Montgomery as a kick returner and possible contributor on offense.
Offensive tackle Trent Brown (ankle) and Adrian Phillips (ribs) -- both of whom were limited in practice this week -- will also suit up on Sunday. Phillips left the Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins last weekend before halftime in considerable pain.
Anferee Jennings will also make his first appearance of 2022 after being a healthy scratch in Week 1, and linebacker Raekwon McMillan (thumb) will also play.
Meanwhile, rookie cornerback Marcus Jones, who played just four snaps in Week 2, will be inactive against Pittsburgh despite not appearing on the injury report this week. Myles Bryant apparently has too strong a grip on both the slot cornerback and punt return jobs to cede snaps to the rookie just yet while Jack Jones seems to have leapfrogged his fellow rookie cornerback in the pecking order.
Second-year safety Joshuah Bledsoe was already ruled out for Sunday's game with a groin injury.
