FOXBORO — When a player’s about to go on injured reserve, sometimes it’s obvious and there’s no conversation needed. Other times, it’s not as simple as that.

When the Patriots placed Rex Burkhead on injured reserve in Week 4 this season, it was a situation that required some dialogue. The running back suffered a neck injury and this occurred two weeks after he had suffered a concussion.

According to Bill Belichick, he talked with Burkhead about what the running back needed to do in order to get back on the field. Not only did Burkhead push forward but he exceeded expectations in his rehab. Now, he’s off the IR and back on the Patriots 53-man roster.

“Yeah, Rex has worked really hard, as he always does,” Belichick said. “We talked about it when I made the move. I talked to him about it and had a lengthy discussion. We both had a good understanding of what the situation was and what needed to be done and how to do it.

“He’s been very diligent, consistent with his approach to it. I’d say as we got closer to the opportunity to bring him back to being eligible to practice and ultimately being eligible to play, he consistently met or exceeded targets or things he needed to show or do to be able to move forward. Yeah, he’s done a great job. Looking forward to having him back.”

Burkhead signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in 2017 and had a career year despite playing in only 10 games. The 28-year-old scored a career-high eight total touchdowns (five rushing and three receiving). He rushed for 264 yards to go with a career-high 30 receptions and 254 yards. Burkhead's 518 yards from scrimmage also amounted to a career-best.

The performance was enough for the Patriots to sign Burkhead to a three-year extension in March. He started this season as the Patriots' starting running back before the concussion and neck injury put him on the shelf.

Now, Burkhead’s back and it’s clear he could help the Patriots moving forward. Burkhead is eligible to play this weekend against Minnesota.

“He's a versatile player that can be involved in all three — actually, all four downs — with a high level of execution in the running game, the passing game and the kicking game,” Belichick said. “We'll take as many of those guys as we can get.”