FOXBOROUGH – The return of center David Andrews to New England Patriots practice on Tuesday was a shock to everyone.

One teammate of Andrews didn't seem to be so shocked, though. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones thought if further proved the grit of the man he takes snaps from each week.

“I mean I think it just shows you how tough David is,” Jones said. “He wants to be able to help the team, however he can and I’m glad to have him out there. He’s a great leader, great teammate, tough player, smart, dependable, everything, all of the above, so definitely love that guy and hopefully we can make it work here.”

Andrews' return was quite the surprise considering the thigh injury he suffered in the first quarter of Sunday's 10-3 win over the New York Jets appeared to be serious as he struggled to get off the field and needed help into the locker room. Moments after the game, it was reported that Andrews' thigh injury was serious enough that the Patriots feared it could cost him his season. New England received a bit more positive news on Monday when it was reported that another set of tests revealed there was a chance Andrews could return late in the season or in the playoffs should the Patriots make it, but it was no guarantee.

Andrews was listed as a limited participant at Tuesday's practice. While that is good news for the Patriots considering the developments of the previous 48 hours, Andrews has a shorter time than usual to recuperate as New England plays the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night. With the team traveling to Minnesota on Wednesday, Andrews' status for the game will likely be known by then as players likely to miss road games due to injury don't travel with the team.

Even though Jones stated his confidence in backup center James Ferentz following Sunday's game, Andrews remaining in the lineup would likely be welcomed news to him. Andrews missed the Patriots' two games prior to Sunday's win against the Jets, which led to Jones getting hit a lot. Jones was sacked a total of 10 times in those two games and was sacked six times in Sunday's win against the Jets, tying a career high for the most times sacked in a game.

As Jones and the rest of the Patriots wait to hear Andrews' status for Thursday's game, he's working on how to improve his play and chemistry with his receivers. One receiver in particular who has been quiet with Jones this season is second-round rookie Tyquan Thornton. After putting up a notable performance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 (four receptions for 37 yards with a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown), Thornton hasn't done much in his four games with Jones. He has caught three passes on nine targets for 23 yards from Jones so far.

Jones believes the rookie is talented and is looking to make things work with him, sharing that he studied Thornton's college tape to help understand his teammate better.

“It's great to have him out there,” Jones said of Thornton. “I watched his college film and all that stuff. There's a lot of things that he did that I really liked. They're obviously translating to the NFL. He's done a great job. Everyone obviously knows he's fast. But he does other things really well, too.

“From the mental aspect, he definitely plays very well and knows where to line up, all that stuff. So he's done a great job. I'm excited to play with him, and we're going to continue to grow together.”

Thornton isn't the only teammate Jones studies.

“I do that for everybody,” Jones said. “I like to watch football, so whenever I can. It's good to watch football and learn about your teammates, or players that you're going against, or coaches even. You can learn stuff from their playing days. So it's pretty cool.”

Most of all, Jones is focusing on his opponent as he hopes to lead the Patriots to a fourth straight win, even if they're dealing with the battle of playing on a short week.

“I think everybody has their own challenges,” Jones said. “Obviously, we just played, but really it's about just getting your mind and your body ready to play again. That's what we do, we play football. Any day of the week, we want to play. We're excited about this one. For me, it's just, like I said, get the treatment, get your body ready and then go out there, have fun, play on Thanksgiving, and enjoy it.”