Dude, A.J. Brown is back on the practice field! Exactly five weeks after that high ankle sprain he picked up in the season opener against our Seattle Seahawks, the star wideout made his return to practice. It’s an encouraging step for both him and the whole Patriots squad, even if he was only participating on a limited basis.
The 21-Day Countdown Is ON for Brown
Alright, so here’s the deal: Brown getting back out there and being designated to come off injured reserve means he’s officially eligible to play in this week’s game against the New York Jets. Will he actually suit up? That’s still up in the air, man. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel straight up said, “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. If not, then we have a 21-day window, and we’ll go from there.” So yeah, no rush from their end, but that clock is ticking. They’ve got 21 days to make the call before the window closes again, and he’d revert back to IR for the season. Nobody expects that to happen, though. It feels way more likely Brown’s gonna be back on that 53-man roster ASAP.
Patriots Offense Desperately Needs This Boost
No joke, the Patriots offense has been absolutely battered since Brown went down in Week 1. Think about it: wide receiver Mack Hollins, fullback Reggie Gilliam, right guard Mike Onwenu, and even his replacement, Greg Van Roten, all ended up on injured reserve. And it gets worse! Tight end Eli Raridon missed time with his own injury, plus left tackle Will Campbell and running back TreVeyon Henderson are facing some super unclear outlooks after picking up knee and ankle injuries in their Week 5 win over the Raiders. This unit has taken some serious hits over the last month, so getting someone back, especially a talent like Brown, is a massive boost. At the very least, it adds some much-needed depth to a receiver position that’s been doing its best but got thinned out big time after Hollins’ injury.
It’s Not Just Brown Making Moves
And here’s the wild part: Brown’s return wasn’t the *only* good news out of Foxborough. Offensive tackle Marcus Bryant also made his comeback after starting the season on IR with an ankle injury. Plus, Pro Bowler cornerback Christian Gonzalez is back after missing two weeks with a shoulder injury, and he’s telling everyone he’s “ready to go” for the Jets game! Even more surprising, Will Campbell, who was supposedly “week to week” with his knee, was a limited participant in practice. He even changed his own status to “day by day” when talking to the media. And get this, TreVeyon Henderson was also on the field. That’s a whole lot of positive movement for a team that’s been dealing with a ton of injuries.
So, what’s next? The Patriots are prepping for the Jets this week, and all eyes are on whether Brown will actually be activated. Even if he doesn’t play right away, his presence back at practice is a huge mental boost, and everyone’s gonna be watching to see when he’s officially back in game-day action.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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