The New England Patriots are making A.J. Brown wait at least one more day before learning whether his long-awaited return will come against the New York Jets.
Head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Friday that New England will hold off on its decision until Saturday after evaluating how Brown responds to his latest practice session.
“We won’t make that decision until tomorrow,” Vrabel said, per Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar. Vrabel added that the team wants to see how Brown responds to Friday’s practice before making the final call. New England has until 4 p.m. ET Saturday to activate him in time for Sunday.
Vrabel added they want to see how Brown responds to Friday’s practice before making a final call. The team has until 4 pm ET on Saturday to decide.
That keeps one of the Patriots’ biggest Week 6 storylines alive less than 48 hours before kickoff.
Brown hasn’t played since suffering a high right ankle sprain during New England’s season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He returned to practice this week after spending four games on injured reserve.
Vrabel Wants Another Look at Brown
The Patriots designated Brown to return from injured reserve Wednesday, opening his 21-day practice window.
Brown was limited Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Patriots’ official injury report. That marked his first on-field practice work since going down in Seattle.
Vrabel had preached patience when Brown initially returned.
“He hasn’t been out there for four weeks, so we’ll get him back out there practicing and see if he’s ready to go in a couple days,” Vrabel said Wednesday. “And if not, then we have a 21-day window, and we’ll go from there.”
Friday’s update makes Saturday the key checkpoint if Brown is going to face New York.
The Patriots do not need to activate Brown because of that 21-day window. However, if they want him available Sunday, they must make the corresponding roster move before Saturday’s deadline.
Brown sounded similarly cautious Thursday, calling his availability “still up in the air” and saying the Patriots would consider his long-term health when deciding whether to bring him back this weekend, via the Boston Globe.
There’s another factor worth considering. New England hosts the Jets on Sunday before traveling to face the Chicago Bears four days later on Thursday night, giving Brown and the Patriots a short turnaround if he returns this weekend.
Brown Return Would Give Drake Maye Major Boost
Brown’s absence has kept the Patriots from seeing much of the blockbuster addition they made during the offseason.
New England sent the Philadelphia Eagles a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder for Brown in June. The three-time Pro Bowler was acquired to become Drake Maye’s top receiving weapon after four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Philadelphia.
His Patriots debut lasted a little more than a half.
Brown caught three passes on four targets for 26 yards against Seattle before injuring his ankle in the third quarter. He also drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty that helped set up New England’s lone touchdown in the 13-10 loss.
The Patriots have since climbed to 3-2 without him and enter Sunday looking for their third consecutive victory.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said this week that simply having Brown back at practice provided some “fresh juice” for the offense. The coordinator has prepared plans for both possibilities against the Jets while the team determines whether Brown is physically ready.
For now, Vrabel is keeping that answer under wraps.
The Patriots will get one more chance to evaluate how their star receiver’s ankle responds before deciding Saturday whether the four-game wait ends against an AFC East rival.
Patriots Reveal Deadline on A.J. Brown Decision Ahead of Jets Game