Brown (ankle) is listed as active Sunday against the Jets.
Brown is making his first appearance since Week 1, when he suffered a right high-ankle sprain, and there's an expectation that he'll be able to play "a good amount" of snaps, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. What that may amount to for Browns remains to be seen, but in his 16 appearances (including playoffs last season with the Eagles, he handled at least an 87 percent snap share in all but two of those contests.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Activated from injured reserve
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The Patriots activated Brown (ankle) from injured reserve Saturday, but he's still listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets.
Even though he's still questionable, the fact that Brown was activated from IR indicates that the veteran wide receiver will be on the field for Sunday's AFC East showdown. Brown has fully recovered from a right ankle sprain that he sustained in Week 1 against the Seahawks, and he will serve as Drake Maye's top target in the passing game.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Expected to return for Week 6
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Brown (ankle) will likely be activated from injured reserve to play Sunday against the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Brown logged a trio of limited practices during Week 6 prep, but it appears the veteran wide receiver has progressed enough in his recovery from a right-ankle sprain to be activated from injured reserve. Assuming he's activated from IR by the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline Saturday, Brown will slot right back into the WR1 spot and provide a significant boost in the passing game while leading the Patriots' wide receiver group that also consists of Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Decision to come Saturday
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Head coach Mike Vrabel said Friday that the Patriots won't make a call on Brown's (ankle) status for Sunday's game against the Jets until Saturday, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.
Since the Patriots designated Brown for return from injured reserve Wednesday, he logged back-to-back limited sessions to begin Week 6 prep, but the team won't make a decision to activate him until it's absolutely required to do so (by 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday). If he's given the green light to play for the first time since Week 1, when he sustained a right high-ankle sprain, he'll rejoin a New England receiving corps currently populated by Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism and Kyle Williams.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Practices again Friday
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Brown (ankle) practiced all three days this week, Mark Daniels of MassLive reports.
After opening his 21-day return window Wednesday and logging limited work Thursday, Brown now appears to have made it through a full week of practice activity. The Patriots will need to activate him from injured reserve Friday or Saturday if he's going to play against the Jets on Sunday. It's not yet clear if that will happen, but continued practice participation is at least a strong sign that Brown should be ready for Week 7 if not Week 6.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Week 6 status "up in the air"
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Brown (ankle) said Thursday that it's "up in the air" whether he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Jets, and that the decision will ultimately be made by head coach Mike Vrabel, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Brown practiced Wednesday after having his 21-day window to return from injured reserve opened. "I felt pretty good," Brown said regarding Wednesday's practice, during which he was listed as limited. "It's one step at a time." The flashy offseason acquisition has missed the past four games due to a sprained ankle sustained in the second half of New England's season-opening loss to Seattle. A loss to the Jets on Sunday would drop the Patriots to third in the AFC East standings, but New England's passing game has been trending in the right direction despite Brown's ongoing absence, as Drake Maye has a 7:1 TD:INT over the past two games after posting a 1:6 ratio through Week 3.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Designated for return from IR
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Head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that the Patriots are designating Brown (ankle) for return from injured reserve, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Brown has missed the required four games while on IR due to the right high-ankle sprain that he sustained in a Week 1 loss at Seattle. While the Patriots offense initially sputtered without its big offseason addition, QB Drake Maye has come to life the last two games, and getting Brown back in the fold perhaps will help stabilize the situation further. Nevertheless, Brown will need to put himself in a position to play again, and Wednesday's injury report will reveal his baseline activity level as New England begins prep for Sunday's contest against the Jets.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Could return to practice Week 6
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Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that Brown (ankle) has "a chance" to return to practice this week, Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports.
After landing on injured reserve following the Patriots' season-opening loss to the Seahawks, Brown has now missed the required four games and is eligible for activation beginning this week. Before the Patriots consider adding him back to the 53-man roster, however, Brown will need to have his 21-day practice window opened. The wideout was spotted walking without a limp last week, which suggests that he's made good progress in his recovery from a right high-ankle sprain and may be ready to mix into drills. If Brown ends up getting cleared to practice this week and looks good during his on-field work, he could have a realistic shot at suiting up this Sunday versus the Jets.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Walking without limp
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Brown (ankle) was seen in the locker room Wednesday without a noticeable limp, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.
When Brown came out of Week 1 with a right high-ankle sprain, he was expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks, but his placement on IR before Week 2 action means he's eligible to return to practice as soon as next week. That doesn't mean he actually will be, but being able to move about sans limp generally is a good sign in his recovery and could mean practice reps are on the horizon for the Patriots' No. 1 wide receiver.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Likely in line for six-week absence
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Brown, who was officially placed on injured reserve Saturday, is expected to miss about six weeks due to a right high-ankle sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Patriots deactivated Brown just three days after he sustained the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday's 13-10 loss to the Seahawks. Though recovery timelines for high-ankle sprains often range from 4-to-6 weeks, the Patriots quickly determined that Brown's injury is "a little more serious," which likely takes a return from IR in Week 6 when first eligible off the table. While their No. 1 wideout is sidelined until early November, the Patriots will have to lean more heavily on Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams as their primary receivers.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Expected to miss four weeks
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Brown is expected to miss four weeks with the ankle injury he suffered in Monday night's loss to the Seahawks, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.
Brown is believed to be dealing with a high-ankle sprain that may require a stint on injured reserve, per NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. The good news is he suffered the injury on a Wednesday, which gives him a few extra days to rehab this week, but it's still looking like the star wideout will miss multiple games. While Brown is sidelined, the Patriots will need to lean on Romeo Doubs at wideout, while DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams all figure to take on larger roles. Hunter Henry is also a candidate to see a bigger target share while Brown is sidelined.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Will not return Wednesday
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Brown (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's contest versus Seattle.
Brown will remain sidelined until the conclusion of the team's regular-season opener after suffering a right ankle injury in the third quarter. In the wideout's absence, running back Rhamondre Stevenson has been quarterback Drake Maye's favorite target against the Seahawks.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Questionable to return Wednesday
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Brown (ankle) is questionable to return Wednesday against the Seahawks, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Brown suffered a right ankle injury on the Patriots' opening drive of the second half, and his availability for the rest of the game is now up in the air. In his absence, Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas could see an uptick in usage at wide receiver.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Not playing Thursday
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Brown isn't in uniform for Thursday's preseason game in Cleveland, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Brown thus won't see any game action during this exhibition season. He's expected to serve as the top target for QB Drake Maye in 2026, considering the key asset (a 2028 first-round pick) sent to Philadelphia to gain his services. In seven campaigns as a pro, Brown has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards six times while racking up 58 total TDs in 105 regular-season contests.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Top target during joint practice
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Brown remained the Patriots' No. 1 option in the passing game during Tuesday's joint practice with the Colts, Ethan Hurwitz of SI.com reports.
Brown started his day off by beating Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner in a 1-on-1 situation, and once full-squad reps began, the wide receiver was heavily targeted. The 29-year-old is entering his first season in Josh McDaniels' offense, working with emerging star Drake Maye at quarterback. Brown and Maye connected five times at practice Tuesday, including a 10-yard score on an in-breaking route where Brown split two defenders to reach paydirt. The wide receiver and the Eagles had grown tired of each other after a four-season marriage in Philadelphia from 2022-2025, and Brown will now provide the Patriots with a clear No. 1 option in their passing game after being traded June 1. He has recorded four straight 1,000-plus yard campaigns and has finished with seven or more receiving touchdowns in six of his seven NFL seasons leading into 2026.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Building connection with Maye
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After the connection between Brown and QB Drake Maye got off to a slow start in training camp, Paul Perillo of the Patriots' official site notes that "there have been some serious signs of life since the pads came on Thursday morning."
With that in mind, Maye said Friday,"I feel the connectivity building now," adding "that's the biggest thing. You are just seeing it get better every day." As the two players' chemistry continues to grow while Brown acclimates to his new team's offense, the wideout is firmly on track to yield fantasy utility as New England's top option at his position alongside fellow newcomer Romeo Doubs, with Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism battling for targets that don't go to the aforementioned duo.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Headed to Patriots
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The Eagles are trading Brown to the Patriots, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, New England is sending a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the wideout.
Following months of speculation, the two sides have finally reached a deal to send the 28-year-old wideout to New England. Waiting until June 1 always made sense for the Eagles, as doing so allows the team to spread Brown's $43.5 million dead-cap hit over the next two seasons, rather than absorbing it all this year. In anticipation of the move, this offseason Philadelphia bolstered a WR corps (which continues to feature DeVonta Smith) by adding Dontayvion Wicks in a trade, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore via free agency, as well as selecting Makai Lemon 20th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. From the Patriots' perspective, Brown reunites with Mike Vrabel -- who coached him in Tennessee - and gives ascending young QB Drake Maye a legitimate No. 1 option in a wide receiver corps that also includes Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams. Steady weekly volume should be the norm for Brown in his new uniform, which puts the 2019 second-rounder in a position to continue to be a reliable fantasy producer this coming season.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Eagles add first-round WR
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The Eagles' selection of WR Makai Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft provides further indication that the team is preparing to move on from Brown, Tim McManus of ESPN.com and Zach Berman of The Athletic report.
McManus notes that Adam Schefter of ESPN previously suggested Brown appears likely to be traded to the Patriots on or after June 1, and the addition of Lemon to a Philadelphia wideout corps that has already brought in Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks and Elijah Moore this offseason is another sign pointing to such an outcome. Meanwhile, the Patriots opted to bolster their offensive line depth in Round 1 rather than add a high-profile rookie WR by selecting offensive tackle Caleb Lomu 28th overall. For his part, however, Eagles GM Howie Roseman remains reluctant to tip his hand regarding the team's plans for Brown, stating Thursday, "For us, A.J. is a member of the Eagles. ... We don't have any trades that have been made or that are done. And I think for us, we're taking this one day at a time."
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: GM Roseman won't reveal much
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Eagles GM Howie Roseman avoided questions about Brown's future while talking with reporters Tuesday, according to Brooks Kubena of The Athletic reports.
Roseman initially declined to comment on Brown when answering a two-part question, instead focusing on recent trade acquisition Dontayvion Wicks. When a different reporter asked about Brown again, Roseman responded, "What do you think the odds of me answering this question any different than I answered it anywhere else?" Roseman then repeated his line from earlier this offseason, saying "A.J. Brown's an Eagle." The response will do nothing to quiet trade rumors, with numerous reports suggesting the Eagles had serious talks with the Rams and Patriots in March. From a cap standpoint, it becomes much easier for the Eagles to move on from Brown after June 1, which means this could drag out for a while even if the team has already made an internal decision of sorts.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Won't be traded at this time
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While the Eagles have held conversations with the Patriots and Rams, Brown will not be traded at this time, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Both the Rams and Patriots have been linked to Brown in recent weeks, as he has familiarity with coach Mike Vrabel from their time together in Tennessee. In Los Angeles, the team needs a third receiver, and the two sides had conversations before the Rams pulled off a deal for Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs last week. According to Russini, talks could heat back up closer to June 1, as no move is believed to be imminent. There's been a whole lot of smoke surrounding Brown this offseason, and that typically indicates there's fire, so a trade can't be written off at some point.
