The injury situation for the New England Patriots is dire. For a long while, that included having major offseason acquisition A.J. Brown on IR with an ankle injury. At least he’s back on the field now, even if there are new and growing concerns popping up for him.
On Wednesday, Brown was limited in practice with an ankle injury. That is, presumably, the same ankle injury that he’s been dealing with since the first game of the season, and has seemingly slowed him down since his return to the field.
“Yeah, sometimes, you know, I see it, and sometimes, I’m pushing through,” Brown said Wednesday. “But none of that stuff even matters. I’m out here, so I’m going.”
Following practice on Wednesday, Mark Daniels reported that Brown is dealing with more than the ankle injury the Patriots listed. He also has a knee issue. That’s new, and it’s worth monitoring before the Patriots travel to Miami for Sunday’s game.
New England Patriots WR A.J. Brown Has Struggled
A.J. Brown returned to the Patriots lineup on November 18th and has had the chance to play two games since then. To say he’s been rusty would be polite.
In those two games, Patriots QB Drake Maye has targeted Brown 16 times. He has 6 receptions in that time and several massive drops. Brown also has just 75 receiving yards, and he hasn’t scored a touchdown. That’s just 4.6875 yards per target.
Despite that, earlier in the week, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel shared, “No. I don’t have any concern.”
The hope is that Brown can get back on track as he both builds up chemistry in the offense and gets healthier. So, seeing him limited in practice, and dealing with a newly reported knee issue, has to be a major concern.
Brown is Letting Injuries Become His Excuse
It could be easy for Brown to let his injuries become an excuse. In what has been a disappointing season to this point, there’s plenty of reasons to be concerned about what those struggles mean for the Patriots. Saying he’s injured and these struggles are explainable is convenient.
However, Brown isn’t doing that. When speaking about them publicly. He’s insisted that it’s something he’s dealing with but not an excuse.
“I’m trying to put my best foot forward,” Brown said. “I know obviously I’m working through something, but it’s no excuses. I made none in the first week I was out there. The things I can control, I try to control. That’s the only thing. Again, I don’t look at anything as positive or negative, if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s information.”
Brown will have a little extra time this week, coming off a Thursday game the week before. That should help a bit. Then, he and the rest of the Patriots can look to bounce back against a struggling Miami Dolphins team.
Going into the game, the Dolphins are just 1-5 on the season. Even coming off a win last week, that puts them among the worst teams in the NFL through the end of October.
Patriots WR A.J. Brown Shares Injury Update, Following New Concerns