FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jamie Collins made his return to the Patriots’ practice field Thursday afternoon, sporting a red hoodie and his old No. 58. Originally listed as No. 30 on the roster, apparently Collins swung a deal with Anfernee Jennings to get it back.

Collins slotted right back in with the linebackers during positional drills and his former teammates were glad to see him back in a navy blue practice uniform.

Jamie Collins

“We missed him to death,” Brandon Bolden said. “We definitely stayed in touch. We always stayed in touch. Jamie’s been like a little brother to me. Great to have him back, and we’ll see how that goes.”

Collins agreed to a new deal with the Patriots on Wednesday, according to his agent David Canter.

Collins signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Lions in 2020, but was released on Sept. 28. He’ll take the spot on the 53-man roster that opened up after the team placed reserve defensive lineman Henry Anderson on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.

This is Collins’ third stint with New England. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round in 2013 and spent the first three seasons with them before being dealt to Cleveland in 2016. He re-signed with the Browns in 2017 before being cut and re-signed by the Patriots in 2019.

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It didn’t take long for Collins to re-establish his presence behind the scenes either.

“It’s fun, man,” Devin McCourty said. “As soon as he got in here, (he was) cracking jokes and getting it going. (He’s) obviously a guy that’s played here and played at an extremely high level throughout his career, so having him back here is going to be great. I think he brings great energy and a presence in the locker room just by how he is. I think the cast of characters and combination between him and Matthew Judon should be exciting day in and day out. So I’m looking forward to it.”

ISAIAH WYNN (COVID-19 list), Michael Onwenu (COVID-19 list), Trent Brown (calf) and Shaq Mason (ab) all missed their second consecutive practice.

Defensive back Shaun Wade was absent, too, as was practice squad center Drake Jackson.

If all four starters on the offensive line can’t go in Houston, the Patriots will have a major problem.

COVID-19: Apparently one of the Patriots that was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list earlier this week is unvaccinated, subjecting the player to stricter protocols for a return. Wynn and Michael Onwenu landed on the list Tuesday afternoon.

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Appearing on WEEI’s Gresh and Keefe, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said there was one positive test and a close contact. Whoever the close contact was is an unvaccinated player, because fully vaccinated individuals aren’t subject to those protocols.

“I don’t know if any of them play on Sunday,” Rapoport said. “I think whichever player is vaccinated has a chance to play Sunday. Hopefully we’ll know more as the week goes on.”

The NFL’s COVID-19 protocols have changed a few times, but based on the flow chart the league released on Aug. 30, an unvaccinated close contact would be subject to a five-day quarantine. A positive test would send them into a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

On the other hand, the vaccinated player that tested positive will be eligible to return whenever he can produce two negative tests 24 hours apart. Asked about the situation in his Wednesday afternoon presser, Bill Belichick was straightforward.

“We’ll follow the league protocols, and what they are. Whatever they are,” Belichick said. “If they clear, they clear. If they don’t, they don’t.”

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