Wide receiver A.J. Brown returned to Patriots practice Wednesday for the first time since a high-ankle sprain cut short his New England debut, according to ESPN.com Patriots insider Mike Reiss.
Head coach Mike Vrabel designated Brown to return from injured reserve, which starts a 21-day clock for the Patriots to add him to the 53-man roster, with the New York Jets arriving Sunday and his availability for that game still unsettled.
It “may be a bit early” for Brown to face the Jets, but “he’s trying,” according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
“There is a chance,” Vrabel said Monday when asked whether Brown could play Sunday, according to Boston.com. On Wednesday, the coach laid out the next step.
“We’ll get him back out there practicing and see if he’s ready to go in a couple days,” Vrabel said, as quoted by CLNS Media.
Safety Kevin Byard III spoke for the locker room.
“Huge boost. He’s our No. 1 receiver,” Byard said, as quoted by NBC Sports Boston‘s Phil Perry. “He’s excited to be back so we’re all excited.”
New England Patriots’ A.J. Brown Injury Recap and Trade
Brown went down early in the third quarter of the Sept. 9 opener, a 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett deflected a low Drake Maye throw, and his knee landed on Brown’s right ankle.
Brown exited after 31 offensive snaps with three catches for 26 yards on four targets, all team highs at the time. He also drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty that set up New England’s only touchdown. X-rays showed no fracture, an MRI confirmed the high-ankle sprain and surgery was ruled out.
The Patriots placed him on injured reserve, with a minimum of four games. Early timelines of four to six weeks settled closer to six.
New England landed Brown on June 1, when the Philadelphia Eagles traded him for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, according to NFL.com. The deal reunited Brown with Vrabel, who coached him with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2022.
Brown arrived off a 1,003-yard, seven-touchdown season with the Eagles, Patra reported.
What A.J. Brown’s Return Means for Drake Maye
Maye threw six interceptions in the Patriots’ first three games, Thompson reported at Boston.com. New England then beat the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders, and Maye finished the Raiders game with four touchdown passes, a rushing touchdown and no turnovers while connecting with nine different receivers.
Maye completed 9 of 23 throws of 15-plus air yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions over Weeks 1-3, then went 11 of 18 with three touchdowns and no interceptions over Weeks 4-5, according to CBS Sports statistics.
Brown’s lone big moment in the opener came on that kind of play. A flea-flicker deep ball toward him drew the pass interference flag that put the Patriots at the Seattle 2-yard line, Sullivan wrote.
Maye has stayed in touch with his No. 1 receiver during the recovery.
“I’ve been checking in with him and I’m looking forward to seeing him when he gets a chance to get back on the field,” Maye told WEEI, as quoted by Los Talks Pats. “It’s always good to have a bunch of different guys making plays, and it’ll be good to see #1 back out there in action.”
The Patriots (3-2) host the Jets on Sunday, and Brown’s practice reps this week will determine whether he plays or if the club keeps waiting.
Patriots Announce Encouraging A.J. Brown Decision Before Jets Game