FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are expected to activate wide receiver A.J. Brown from injured reserve on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s divisional matchup against the New York Jets, according to a report from NFL Network.
Brown has sat out the past four games after suffering a right high ankle sprain during the third quarter of the regular-season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Outlets offered differing dates for the opening contest, with ESPN reporting the game took place Sept. 9 and Boston television station WFXT citing Sept. 10.
Boosting the Offense
The Patriots currently hold an open spot on their 53-man roster, enabling the front office to add Brown without cutting another player, Sports Illustrated reported. Brown resumed practicing Wednesday on a limited basis and remained limited throughout the week, according to team injury logs.
Before leaving the field in the opener, Brown had caught three passes for 26 yards. New England acquired the star wideout during the offseason in exchange for two draft picks, including a 2028 first-round selection, Sports Illustrated reported. ESPN noted that Brown will likely be eased into action rather than taking on a full workload right away.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye spoke enthusiastically earlier this week about what Brown’s presence means for opposing defenses, drawing an analogy to professional basketball.
“When they start doubling the best player once they get past half court, then they’re just leaving a corner 3 open or leaving a guy open for a dunk,” Maye said, according to ESPN. “So it’s kind of like playing receiver with a guy like that.”
Maye added that teammates have stepped up in recent weeks, but Brown’s return will make the offense considerably more difficult to contain.
Roster Management and Health
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel took a cautious stance late in the week, telling reporters on Friday that a final determination would depend on how the receiver felt after practice. Vrabel noted that his staff wanted to evaluate Brown’s general conditioning level after a month away from contact.
Brown similarly indicated that long-term durability remained the top priority. He said Vrabel would make the ultimate call, emphasizing that the decision needed to be made for the “long haul, not just for temporarily,” according to ESPN.
Without Brown and wide receiver Mack Hollins — who was recently placed on injured reserve — New England relied on a receiver rotation of Romeo Doubs, DeMario “Pop” Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III. Brown commended his fellow receivers, telling Sports Illustrated that the group had performed admirably while he was sidelined.
New England (3-2) enters Sunday’s 1 p.m. home contest against the Jets (2-3) riding a two-game winning streak. Several other players remain on the injury report, according to WFXT, including cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who returned to practice following a right shoulder issue, as well as TreVeyon Henderson and Will Campbell, who were listed as questionable.
The Patriots face a compressed schedule after Sunday, traveling to play the Chicago Bears on Thursday night.
