The New England Patriots offense received a Christmas present on Saturday morning. Like first reported by Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, starting wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has been activated on the coronavirus reserve roster and is expected to play in the Week 16 game with the Buffalo Bills.

Bourne, 26, was first sent on reserve / Covid-19 on Monday after testing positive. Under league protocols for vaccinated players, however, he was allowed to return in time for the high-stakes game against Buffalo.

Activation is good news for the player and the team. Bourne’s return comes just a day after the Patriots had to rule out another wide receiver Nelson Agholor with a head injury; Agholor had missed practice all week after suffering a concussion last Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Had Bourne also not been able to return to the coronavirus reserve list, the Patriots wide receiver situation would have been dire outside of Jakobi Meyers and nominal WR4 N’Keal Harry. The only other wide receiver under contract with the team that caught an NFL assist is Gunner Olszewski – the main punt returner for the team who has only received one pitch all season.

Bourne, meanwhile, has been a regular contributor since arriving in New England during the offseason. Aligning with all the offensive formation, he caught 45 passes for 667 yards and five touchdowns. The fifth-year man, who started his career with the San Francisco 49ers, also added 100 yards on nine carries and threw a 25-yard touchdown.

The Patriots’ game against the Bills on Sunday is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.