Sow missed the first three games of the season due to an ankle injury.
The New England Patriots’ struggling offensive line will need all the help it can get on Sunday against a talented San Francisco 49ers defense. Luckily, one previously injured member of the starting unit appears to be on the cusp of a return.
Left guard Sidy Sow, who missed the first three weeks of the season because of an ankle injury, is nearing a comeback. According to head coach Jerod Mayo, he was already close last week and the team is optimistic he will be ready versus the 49ers.
“Sidy’s done great,” Mayo said during a press conference on Friday. “I talked to Sidy last week. It was close. It was close last week, and hopefully, we look forward to seeing him play here on Sunday.”
A fourth-round draft pick by the Patriots last year, Sow started 13 games as a rookie including 12 straight to close out the season at right guard. Playing 692 of a possible 716 offensive snaps over that span, the Eastern Michigan built a strong foundation heading into his sophomore campaign.
Despite his success at right guard, however, the Patriots decided to move him to the left side this offseason. Sow was on his way to replace the injured Cole Strange before he himself got banged up in the preseason finale; the 26-year-old was unable to finish the game against Washington because of an ankle injury.
Nonetheless, New England decided to keep him on its 53-man roster rather than move him to injured reserve to open the regular season — indicating he would be out fewer than the four games mandated via a trip to IR. Based on Mayo’s statements and Sow’s participation in practice this week, it seems those projections might indeed have been accurate.
The Patriots travelled to the Bay Area on Friday afternoon. Kickoff at Levi’s Stadium is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 29.