The New England Patriots have not issued any new updates on the injury to wide receiver A.J. Brown since he went down with a high ankle sprain in the season-opening matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. But some new information leaked from the New England locker room on Wednesday, as the Patriots prepared to face the 3-1 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Brown walked through the locker room Wednesday without a noticeable limp, but his high ankle sprain still keeps him on injured reserve, according to Boston Herald reporter Doug Kyed.
MassLive reporter Mark Daniels quickly corroborated Kyed’s report, revealing, “A.J. Brown was in the Patriots locker room with his cleats on today. He’s eligible to practice next week.”
The sighting is encouraging, yet Brown cannot return before the Oct. 18 game against the Jets, and the Patriots still lack a clear answer on when he will practice.
Vrabel’s press conference produced a second update—no player on injured reserve was expected to open a practice window Wednesday, according to another of Kyed’s morning posts.
A.J. Brown Injury Timeline for the Patriots
Brown went down early in the third quarter of the Sept. 9 Kickoff Game at Seattle, when cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett landed on his right ankle, according to NBC Sports Boston. X-rays came back negative, and Brown left in a walking boot as the Patriots lost 13-10.
He finished with three catches for 26 yards and drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty that set up New England’s only touchdown. An MRI then confirmed a high ankle sprain, and the initial projection of four weeks stretched to about six, according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport.
Placement on injured reserve with a designation to return rules Brown out for at least four games, through the Las Vegas matchup, according to CBS Sports.
Adam Schefter later projected six to eight weeks while noting Brown was “moving pretty well,” according to NBC Sports. The current RotoWire estimate for his return is Oct. 22 at Chicago, according to the site’s Brown player page.
Walking at normal speed without a limp serves as one benchmark for leaving the early phase of high ankle rehab, but jogging typically waits until single-leg balance and stairs feel comfortable, according to SoccerRehab‘s high ankle sprain guide.
Syndesmosis injuries heal more slowly than typical ankle sprains, with published athlete recovery averages ranging from about 15 to 46 days, according to HMP Global‘s podiatry review.
Walking in cleats also does not test the external rotation and cutting that stress the ankle ligaments, and RotoWire treats the limp-free look as progress toward practice rather than proof of game readiness.
New England Patriots Offense Without A.J. Brown
The New England Patriots chased Brown for months, having been linked to him since releasing Stefon Diggs in March, while the Rams also pursued him, according to NFL.com. Philadelphia waited until after June 1 to split his dead-cap charge, then sent him to New England for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, according to the Associated Press.
Brown, the 51st pick in the 2019 draft by Tennessee, earned three Pro Bowl selections, three second-team All-Pro nods and a Super Bowl LIX title, while entering this season with 524 catches, 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns, according to ESPN.
He topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of four seasons with Philadelphia, including 1,496 in 2022 and 1,456 in 2023, according to Gridiron Experts.
Without Brown, the Patriots are 2-2, and Drake Maye has thrown for 854 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions, according to StatMuse. New England averages 16.3 points per game, 30th in the league, according to FootballDB.
The best output came Sunday in a 29-26 win at Buffalo, where Maye threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, according to RotoWire, and Romeo Doubs caught six passes for 58 yards and two scores.
The Patriots host the Raiders on Sunday in Week 5.
A.J. Brown Injury News Leaks From Patriots Locker Room Before Raiders Game