Veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown had a less than stellar return from injury for the New England Patriots on Sunday. In summary, he looked like a receiver who hadn’t played in more than a month.
Brown will get another opportunity to play better Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. But it might be a multi-week process for the wideout to reach his potential in New England’s offense.
That’s what former All-Pro wide receiver Roddy White told Heavy Sports while speaking in an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports at the Chase for Business’ Make Your Move Summit in Atlanta this week.
“It’s definitely going to take a couple weeks. They are going to have to be patient with him for a couple weeks,” White said. “I know everybody says, ‘Well, he’s had four weeks of practice.’ But practice isn’t game speed, and you can’t simulate what you do at practice because the game speeds up so much.
“The windows open and close so much faster in football games.”
Brown had just three catches for 27 yards against the New York Jets on Sunday in his return from a high-ankle sprain. He dropped three passes.
A.J. Brown Set to Play Third Game With Patriots on Thursday
As much as the 4-time Pro Bowler expressed patience with Brown, White also liked what he saw from the Patriots WR1 versus the Jets.
Yes, the drops were discouraging. But they had nothing to do with Brown’s high-ankle sprain.
“I’m not worried about the drops. He’ll fix those,” said White. “I was more worried about him separating and seeing if he can get away from people coming off the high-ankle sprain, and he was able to do that a lot.
“I think he will be fine in the next couple weeks. He’ll get his hands, start working with the quarterback, seeing the ball better and then getting out there and making a lot of plays.”
To White’s point, Brown led the Patriots with 10 targets against the Jets. He was getting open but having trouble bringing in the passes.
Unfortunately for the wideout, the Patriots have a quick turnaround after Brown’s return for the team. New England will visit the Chicago Bears on Thursday night to kick off the NFL’s Week 7 slate.
Based on White’s analysis, Brown might still not be quite ready to be the focal point of the Patriots offense. But after Thursday, the 29-year-old will have a week and a half to prepare and rest for the Miami Dolphins.
Roddy White Navigating Small-Business Space With Chase Bank
White played his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons from 2005-15. From 2007-12, he was one of the top receivers around the NFL, posting six straight 1,150-yard campaigns.
During that stretch, White made four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2008-11. He led the league with 115 catches and posted 1,389 receiving yards while making first-team All-Pro in 2010.
Today, White is a small-business owner. He owns a construction company that builds commercial real estate, single-family homes and small developments in the Atlanta area.
White participated in the small-business summit in Atlanta this week to network but to also pay-it forward. He explained to Heavy Sports he wanted to help other small businesses in the Southeast get off the ground.
“Being a former athlete and being an entrepreneur myself now, I’ve learned that structure, discipline and work ethic can get you your business where it needs to go,” said White.
“Chase helped me along the way. I’m here now proud to support what they’re doing for these small businesses to help them grow.”
Patriots’ A.J. Brown Gets Telling Prediction From Former All-Pro Before Bears Game