The New England Patriots hit a low point Sunday, suffering their worst loss since 2024, falling 35-6 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But on Monday, the Patriots got some good news when their star offseason acquisition, wide receiver A.J. Brown, walked into the locker room.
Brown appeared in the Patriots locker room Monday without a limp, wearing cleats, according to MassLive reporter Karen Guregian. Brown remains ineligible to return until Week 6, due to his injured reserve designation.
The Patriots are 1-2 and scoring 12 points per game, 31st in the NFL, according to StatMuse team rankings, making the return of Drake Maye’s top receiver option even more urgent.
Brown hurt his right ankle early in the second half of the Sept. 9 opener at Seattle, when his foot got trapped between the turf and a Seahawks defender, according to NFL.com. An MRI confirmed a high ankle sprain, and New England placed him on injured reserve, which mandates a minimum of four missed games.
“I think he’s been, from what I understand, moving pretty well,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on WEEI, as quoted by Boston.com. Schefter said the injury was initially projected at six to eight weeks, with Brown now tracking toward the shorter end. Six weeks from the opener lands on the Oct. 22 game at Chicago.
Patriots’ A.J. Brown Injury History
A bone bruise to his knee cost Brown two games in 2020, a hamstring strain one game in 2021, and a chest injury three games that same season, according to NESN. He missed no games in 2022 or 2023, then sat out three with a hamstring injury in 2024 and one more in 2025.
A high ankle sprain damages the syndesmotic ligaments connecting the shinbone and calf bone, usually when the foot turns outward, according to SportsMD. Recovery typically runs six to eight weeks or longer, and a 2022 study cited by the site put the average NFL return at about 11 weeks.
“This is a little more serious,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said of Brown’s injury, as quoted by NBC Sports Boston, noting that Michael Thomas averaged 6.2 catches per game after his 2020 sprain, down from 7.5 earlier in his career, while CeeDee Lamb returned from a three-game absence without a decline.
Drake Maye Without A.J. Brown and Kayshon Boutte
Maye is 51-of-80 for 585 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions, according to StatMuse. He threw three interceptions in the opener with Brown, one in a 20-3 win over Pittsburgh and two in Sunday’s 35-6 loss at Jacksonville, when he was sacked three times.
New England also traded receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans in late August for safety Jaylen Reed and a future seventh-round pick. Boutte caught 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns in 2025.
“Without injuries Kayshon probably would have been inactive,” coach Mike Vrabel said, as quoted by CBS Sports. Brown and Romeo Doubs sat ahead of Boutte on the depth chart.
Vrabel said the team must get Brown back as soon as possible,. That cannot happen before Oct. 18 against the New York Jets, following games at Buffalo on Oct. 4 and against Las Vegas on Oct. 11.
Patriots A.J. Brown Injury Update: Locker Room Sighting Brings Good News