Patriots' A.J. Brown: Confirmed as non-participant Thursday
Rotowire
Brown (ankle/knee) was officially listed as a non-participant at Thursday's practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Thursday's injury report confirms earlier reporting from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that Brown isn't practicing Thursday. According to Rapoport, Brown recently had a knee issue flare up, which has the wide receiver's status for Sunday's game against the Dolphins in doubt. Brown has six catches for 75 yards on 16 targets in two games since returning from a four-game absence due to an ankle injury.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Status against Dolphins in doubt
Rotowire
Brown (knee/ankle) is sidelined Thursday by a knee issue that flared up, and the wide receiver's status for Sunday against the Dolphins is up in the air, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Brown is contending with a new knee injury in addition to the ankle injury through which he has played the last two weeks after missing the previous four. The wideout's fantasy managers should start forming contingency plans in case he sits out Sunday against the Dolphins, though Brown could change the narrative by returning to practice Friday.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Not seen at Thursday's practice
Rotowire
Brown (ankle/knee) was not present during the media-viewing portion of Thursday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Brown looks to be trending in the wrong direction after being listed as a limited participant at Wednesday's practice. He has caught just six of 16 targets for 75 yards in two games since returning from a stint on IR due to an ankle injury. Brown's activity level Friday could be pivotal for his availability Sunday against the Dolphins.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Limited by knee, ankle Wednesday
Rotowire
Brown was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to knee and ankle injuries.
The Patriots are remaining cautious with Brown, who is apparently nursing a knee issue in addition to getting continued maintenance for the high-ankle sprain that kept him out for four games. Brown was limited in two practices ahead of a Thursday night game against the Bears but still played 92 percent of the offensive snaps in the 30-24 loss. A similar rep-management plan could be in place for Brown going into Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Good to go for Thursday Night Football
Rotowire
Brown (ankle) does not carry an injury designation going into Thursday's game against the Bears.
Brown turned in a full practice Wednesday, and that was enough to take him off the injury report going into the Week 7 primetime matchup with Chicago. He returned from a four-game absence in Week 6 and played 76 percent of the offensive snaps against the Jets, recording three catches for 27 yards on 10 targets. Brown and the Patriots will face a Bears defense that allows 9.8 yards per target to opposing receivers.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Remains listed as limited Tuesday
Rotowire
Brown (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on Tuesday's practice report.
Brown returned from a four-game absence this past Sunday against the Jets, and with no reported setbacks, his limited participation Monday and Tuesday is likely maintenance-related. Wednesday's injury report should clarify whether the Patriots' top WR will be fully cleared for Week 7 action.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Limited on Monday's practice estimate
Rotowire
Brown (ankle) was listed as limited on Monday's estimated practice report.
In his return from a four-game absence Sunday against the Jets, Brown was targeted 10 times but hauled in only three of them for 27 yards. It appears he's still bothered by his previous right ankle sprain, as evidenced by a capped walkthrough Monday, but he still has two more chances to get back to full this week before potentially being tagged with a designation for Thursday's contest at Chicago.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Activated from injured reserve
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Expected to return for Week 6
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Decision to come Saturday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Practices again Friday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Week 6 status "up in the air"
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Designated for return from IR
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Could return to practice Week 6
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Walking without limp
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Likely in line for six-week absence
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Expected to miss four weeks
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Will not return Wednesday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Questionable to return Wednesday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Patriots' A.J. Brown: Not playing Thursday
Rotowire
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.
