With the 2026 season of the NFL entering week six, this means that there is a particular time limit that is running out. A.J. Brown’s medical leave is coming to a close, and his time on the injured reserve has come to an end. The wide receiver who has been out since week one has been spotted around the Patriots’ home stadium once again. Brown can start playing on the team he joined not long before the season began.
Brown had to be put on the injured reserve very early into the season. It was the first week when he sprained his ankle during the match between the Patriots and Seahawks. Brown was seen limping into the medical tent and was later sent to the hospital, where he received his diagnosis. He had a high ankle sprain and was told to take it easy on it for at least four weeks, and those weeks have now come and gone.
During a press conference on October 12, Mike Vrabel was asked if there was a chance that Brown would be seen in the practice sessions. “Yep, there is,” Vrabel was asked what Brown would bring to the offense upon his return. “Well, I think just helping to add to the production. I think that’s all you want from the receivers is that they’re a productive group, that they win 1-on-1 match-ups, contested catches, create separation, give quarterbacks confidence, and places to go with the football. When you talk about production, I think that the unit was productive yesterday. They all contributed. So, that was real positive.”
On the following Wednesday, October 14, Mike Vrabel confirmed that Brown will be back on the practice field with the rest of the team. However, it is still unknown if he’ll be playing in either the next game against the Jets or the one after that. The reason for this is mainly due to how long Brown has been off the field. At the moment, Vrabel is trying to determine how fit he is for play, saying the following.
“He hasn’t been out there for four weeks,” added Vrabel, “so we’ll get him back out there practicing and see if he’s ready to go in a couple of days. And if not, 21-day window and we’ll go from there.”
Vrabel would praise Brown for his ability to stay engaged throughout his recovery and rehab. He was asked if Brown will give the team a boost, but Vrabel was unsure if he would given how long he’s been out of the game. In the same announcement, it was also confirmed that Marcus Bryant is also returning to practice.
There are, of course, still multiple injuries currently plaguing the team. Mike Onwenu is still nursing his broken ankle, and OT Will Campbell received a knee sprain during the recent match against the Raiders. Running back TreVeyon Henderson has unfortunately received a very similar injury to Brown, a high ankle sprain on his right side.
For the players on the Patriots, it has been a rough go in just the first few weeks. Sure, the Patriots have had some good victories, but they’ve also seen a lot of injuries. One game even had five, including broken bones. At this time, the team needs players to come back, as there are only so many backups. With A.J. Brown on the rebound, the team can have a wide receiver spot filled, and some normalcy can be reestablished.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
