A.J. Brown returned to New England Patriots practice on Wednesday, according to reports from reporters who saw him there. His return has revived hopes he can play in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions in Munich, Germany.
Brown has appeared in only three games this season for the Patriots, so his return to the practice field raises the pressing question — can he stay healthy this time?
Brown took part in an indoor session at Gillette Stadium, his first practice since late October and the team’s last workout before it departs for Germany on Wednesday evening. He was “first up in receiver drills,” Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston wrote.
Several beat reporters confirmed the sighting with photos and video. “A.J. Brown is back at Patriots practice,” Chris Mason posted. Ethan Hurwitz noted that Brown was “absent the last two weeks” before returning.
Fullback Reggie Gilliam also returned from injured reserve, Hurwitz reported. TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson sat out, along with others, according to Evan Lazar. Alex Barth also confirmed Brown’s presence on the field.
New England Patriots’ A.J. Brown Injury Timeline
The Patriots acquired the receiver from the Philadelphia Eagles in June for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Brown summed up his first day in New England in glowing terms, saying, “I know this ain’t heaven. But it’s close to it,” as quoted by ESPN.
But heaven, as it turns out, has been rough on his body. Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in the Patriots’ Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9, and the team placed him on injured reserve. He missed the next four games, returned to practice Oct. 14 when his 21-day window opened, and played in Weeks 6 and 7.
Then came the knee. Brown sat out with a knee problem described as a flare-up of an earlier condition that the short week between a Sunday game and a Thursday game may have aggravated, according to Pro Football Rumors. Brown last played Oct. 22 against the Chicago Bears. He sat out the following week’s game against the Miami Dolphins, and when Vrabel announced Friday that Brown would also miss the Week 9 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, the receiver had not practiced all week. The Patriots lost that game 45-27, the sixth game Brown has missed this season.
In his three appearances, Brown has caught nine of the 20 passes thrown his direction for 101 yards and no touchdowns. That output covers a third of the Patriots’ schedule to date.
Patriots’ A.J. Brown Status for Lions Game
Head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that the plan is to bring Brown to Munich so the team can keep working to get hurt players back on the field. He added that no final decision had been made, and that traveling does not guarantee any injured player will suit up, according to the Boston Globe.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero had reported earlier that the Patriots were optimistic Brown could return “sooner rather than later, perhaps after the Week 11 bye.” Wednesday’s participation keeps a Week 10 return in play, though how Brown looks in practice sessions in Germany will settle it. Munich is the Patriots’ last stop before the Week 11 bye, so the decision on Brown plays out across a game and then a week off.
The Patriots travel a day earlier than usual for the trip. A walk-through Thursday and a full practice Friday precede the game at Allianz Arena, with kickoff set for 9:30 a.m. ET.
Those two sessions, plus Wednesday’s, give the Patriots three looks at Brown in practice before they decide whether he plays.
Patriots Get Encouraging A.J. Brown Injury News Before Lions Game in Munich