In his first season with the New England Patriots, wide receiver A.J. Brown has battled extensively with injuries. First, it was a high ankle sprain that landed him on IR. More concerningly, for the last two weeks, Brown has been out with a knee issue, which has followed him throughout his career.
It does seem like Brown is on the mend, though. He’s with the Patriots in Germany, and he’s been at two practices in a row. However, he officially remained limited.
That Brown was limited in practice didn’t matter to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, though. He was just happy to have his top receiver back.
“Yeah, it’s been great having him out there,” Drake Maye said. “Anytime you got a player like A.J. getting out there a little bit and seeing how he feels [it’s great]. We got a lot of great guys that I feel like can make plays… The biggest thing I like is to try to get them the ball and then see what they can do.”
It’s still not 100% clear if Brown is going to play on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Regardless, it does look like he’s moving in the right direction.
New England Patriots WR A.J. Brown is Battling a Knee Issue
Over the offseason, when the Patriots were looking at trading for A.J. Brown, a point of concern was always going to be his health. The big wide receiver takes a physical beating, and he missed time in both 2024 and 2025. Still, the Patriots felt good enough to trade a first-round pick.
At the time, they were well aware that Brown has a degenerative knee issue that he battles through. The hope was that it would be manageable, but it’s what’s flared up and kept him out of the past couple of games.
Patriots EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf acknowledged that concern during the offseason. Wolf said, “It’s a factor, but we examined him. He’s got a knee that has some wear and tear that we were aware of. Our training staff and medical staff signed off on it.”
Brown’s knee will always be a concern, and managing it is important for him. So, that’s exactly what the Patriots are trying to do now while balancing their need to get him on the field.
Injuries Have Hit the Patriots Hard
Injuries have been a concern throughout the season for the Patriots, and on both sides of the ball. Lately, however, they’ve hit the skill positions on offense particularly hard.
Along with Brown, wide receiver Romeo Doubs is also on IR, though he’s expected back at some point during the season. That’s after Mack Hollins had to battle back from IR himself. Meanwhile, tight end Hunter Henry has been limited in practice as well.
At running back, TreVeyon Henderson has been battling an illness. It’s still unclear how severe that is, but it’s already cost him time, and it will continue to do so as he’s been ruled out of Sunday’s game. Rhamondre Stevenson was also injured last week, though he has shown some positive signs going into Sunday.
In all of that, the Patriots simply need to get Brown back on the field and playing to his full potential. Otherwise, Maye won’t have many starter-caliber players to help him operate the offense.
Patriots QB Drake Maye Shares Honest Feelings on A.J. Brown Situation