The New England Patriots will be back in action for an important divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. After suffering a hard-fought loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football last week, the Pats are going to be intent on finding a way to get back in the win column against a Dolphins team that only just won their first game of the season in Week 7.
All season long, New England has been battling a handful of injury woes, and that has carried into its preparation for this game. On Thursday, two of the team’s top offensive playmakers, wide receiver A.J. Brown and running back TreVeyon Henderson, did not practice, raising concerns about their hopes of playing on Sunday. The hope was that both guys could practice on Friday, but it seems like their respective statuses are trending in the wrong direction.
A.J. Brown, TreVeyon Henderson Not Seen at Patriots’ Friday Practice
The Pats were hoping that both Brown and Henderson would be key parts of their offense this year, but to this point, they both have been major disappointments for this team. Brown has played in just three games this year, while Henderson has become less and less involved on offense, leading to heightened trade rumors surrounding him.
Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 that landed him on injured reserve, but ever since returning, he’s looked like a shell of himself. Yes, he hasn’t played much, but Brown has just nine catches for 101 yards to his name this year, as well as a handful of infuriating drops. Henderson, meanwhile, has continued to struggle in pass protection, and he’s averaging just 3.9 yards per carry, which is a stark drop from the 5.1 figure he was at last season.
Making matters even worse, it seems like both of these guys may not be able to play on Sunday. Brown is dealing with a new knee injury that caused him to miss practice on Thursday, while Henderson also didn’t practice because of an illness. At the media-access portion of the team’s practice on Friday, Brown and Henderson were not seen on the field, which seems to indicate neither guy will practice for the second straight day.
No sign of WR A.J. Brown (knee/ankle) here at the media-access portion of practice Friday,” Mike Reiss of ESPN shared in a post on X. RB TreVeyon Henderson (illness) also not here for the second straight day.
Patriots May Be Shorthanded on Offense in Week 8
While Brown and Henderson could conceivably get some work in during the non-media portion of practice on Friday, it seems like they are both trending in the wrong direction right now. And in the process, it may be time to sound the alarm bells for both of these guys. Brown has been a complete nonfactor this year, while another missed game for Henderson could result in him falling even further out of favor on offense.
Of this duo, it seems like Henderson has a better shot of playing on Sunday, as an illness is a bit easier to overcome than a lingering knee issue that Brown is suddenly dealing with. It will be worth seeing what the team’s official practice status for Brown and Henderson winds up being on Friday, but right now, things aren’t looking good for them when it comes to their hopes of playing against the Dolphins.
Patriots Get Dealt Brutal A.J. Brown, TreVeyon Henderson Injury News Before Week 8