A.J. Brown’s career with the New England Patriots is off to an *underwhelming* start, plain and simple. Even with him missing four weeks due to a high ankle sprain, averaging only three catches per game, and being a no-show at practice on Thursday, his coaches are somehow not sounding the alarm. Nope, it’s the opposite: they’re still super high on the 29-year-old receiver.
Injuries, Missed Games, and Low Numbers Piling Up
Let’s break down why this is wild. Brown came over from the Eagles via trade this offseason and actually showed some promise early on. But his regular season debut, right here in our city, was cut brutally short when he sprained his ankle in the early third quarter. The Patriots immediately sent him to injured reserve. His much-anticipated return to the field in Week 7 against the Jets? It was a struggle, man. There was a *little* improvement four days later against the Bears, but the numbers still aren’t looking good. We’re talking just six catches on 14 targets for 53 combined yards in his two games back. And if that wasn’t enough, his knee injury has now reportedly “flared up.” He practiced limited on Wednesday, but didn’t take part in Thursday’s session, putting his outlook for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins seriously in question. It’s been a rough ride.
Coaches Are Preaching Patience, Not Panic
Despite all this, the Patriots’ coaching staff seems to be living in a different reality. Wide receivers coach Todd Downing dropped a pretty calm take on Thursday, saying, “It’s been a small sample size for A.J. I think there’s been a lot made about a couple of weeks. My hope, and his hope, and everybody’s hope is that he gets a little bit of traction. I’m not worried about where A.J. is at at all. Certainly haven’t had the results that we had hoped for, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t right around the corner.”
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the “process.” He pointed out that Brown has played only eight quarters in almost two months and had just four practices. McDaniels explained, “This is a process of building into our best football. We’ve seen that with pretty much every player that’s come here starting last year and then obviously we’ve seen it this year with different guys.” He added that health is a “big part of that” and that they’ll work with whatever Brown’s body allows. McDaniels finished by saying he loves Brown’s “attitude and his approach” and that he knows Brown will “put himself in a great position to help our team.” Long-term, they’re still confident in his potential.
So, while everyone else might be wondering what’s going on, the Patriots’ staff is apparently just chilling. Brown’s health and ability to finally get some traction are going to be key. He’s got Sunday’s game against the Dolphins looming, and he needs to get right. Fast.
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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