Injuries have plagued A.J. Brown's first season with the New England Patriots. He sustained a high-ankle sprain early in Week 1, was then placed on the injured reserve and missed the next four games, and then he returned for two games before missing more time due to his ankle injury and a flare-up in his knee.
Even when he has been available on the field, Brown hasn't made the impact the Patriots were hoping he would. Through parts of three games, the three-time All-Pro receiver has recorded nine receptions on 20 targets (which includes a ton of inexcusable drops) for 101 yards and no touchdowns.
Things haven't gone according to plan for Brown in New England so far, but he can still find his groove and make a big impact on offense. He has missed each of the team's last two games, but he returned to practice this week, and his status is worth monitoring ahead of the Patriots' Week 10 matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday morning.
Latest A.J. Brown updates ahead of Patriots vs. Lions
Brown was listed as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and he is officially listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game. Given that he didn't practice at all in Week 9, this is an encouraging sign that the Mississippi native could make his on-field return against Detroit.
Even though he hasn't made much of an impact for the Patriots yet, his potential return would still be great news for the team. He still has a ton of gravity and opens up the field for everybody else on the offense. And because the Patriots are looking to make a playoff push (they currently hold the final playoff spot), it will be helpful to them to have someone like Brown as a reinforcement.
He also still needs to find his footing in New England's system, and he needs to build some chemistry with Drake Maye. Even if he's in a limited role whenever he returns, just having him on the field in any capacity will help with both of those things.
The most important thing is that the Patriots can't rush Brown's return. There is some debate that they brought him back a little too soon from his ankle sprain, and that's what played a role in his struggles/knee flare-up. Brown is a big part of New England's plans, so while it would be nice to have him back on the field this week, there's also no need to risk anything.
Add us as a preferred source on Google