New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) during the fourth quarter at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots beat the Bills 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen is eligible to be activated off of the short-term injured reserve this week, and he will need to be activated in order to play in tomorrow’s big Monday night game against the Carolina Panthers. Vereen has been practicing for a couple of weeks now, but the Patriots only recently upgraded his practice workload. It seems like Vereen has responded well, and every indication is that he will be active and ready to go for tomorrow’s game.

According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Vereen is expected to play tomorrow, and Rapoport’s report falls in line with what Patriots beat writers have stated. ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss recently stated that he expects Vereen to play, and that’s not a surprise to hear. He is most likely fully recovered from the broken wrist he suffered in Week 1, and the crazy thing is that he still managed to total 159 yards from scrimmage while playing through the broken wrist.

Vereen will probably see his snaps limited upon his return, but even limited snaps for Vereen could have a big impact. He’s a major chess piece for Bill Belichick in the Patriots offense, because he’s a versatile weapon who can make plays in both the passing game and running game. Vereen is as explosive as they come, and his ability to break open big plays on screens could keep the Panthers linebackers and pass rushers on their heels.

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