FOXBORO — Patriots rookie wide receiver Efton Chism earned a spot on the 53-man roster this summer with a standout training camp and preseason. Now he’ll have a chance to prove himself in the regular season.
With wide receivers Mack Hollins (abdomen) and Kayshon Boutte (concussion) already ruled out this week, Chism should be in line to set a career high in offensive snaps.
Chism has played 24 offensive snaps this season, but he has yet to be targeted in a game.
“He’s always prepared,” head coach Mike Vrabel said of Chism on Friday. “There’s hard workers on this team. I would say none that probably work harder than Efton. I’m not going to say that he’s the hardest worker, but you’d be hard pressed to find players that work harder than him, to be prepared, to be ready and take advantage of his opportunity, which it looks, by all accounts, that he’ll get opportunities.”
Chism did most of his work out of the slot this summer. Slot receiver DeMario Douglas has also been limited this week with a hamstring injury and is officially questionable to play Week 17 against the Jets.
That leaves Chism, Stefon Diggs and rookie Kyle Williams as the Patriots’ only healthy wide receivers. The team also has John Jiles, Jeremiah Webb and Brandon Smith on their practice squad.
“I’m excited,” Chism said Friday. “Been a lot of work going into it with the guys. Just blessed to be in this room, in this group, and be a part of this team. Trying to take advantage of every opportunity I get with this team.”
Chism, an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Washington, has played in six games this season and returned 16 kicks for 383 yards, playing 49 total snaps on special teams.
He said he’s continued to prepare like a starter, a mantra under Vrabel, despite the lack of reps on offense.
Sometimes, I think, you got that person on your shoulder that’s telling you, like, ‘man, the work’s not paying off or whatever it is,’ but man, I try to block that off as soon as I can, because I know when the opportunity comes, I’m gonna be ready to go. …
“So continue just to keep that mindset. And try never to lose it, because that’s the mindset that got me here. So, I don’t want to ever get comfortable or get complacent with being here. Just want to stay here as long as I can, right?”
