A.J. Brown is back on the New England Patriots' injury report ahead of their Week 8 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, as he deals with a flared-up knee issue and a lingering ankle injury (he left the season opener early due to a high-ankle sprain and missed the next four games after he was placed on the injured reserve).
Brown has mostly been underwhelming since returning from his ankle injury, recording six receptions on 16 targets for 75 yards and no touchdowns in two games. He has also dropped numerous passes.
Still, the Mississippi native is supposed to be a big part of New England's success as someone who can stretch the field and give Drake Maye a legitimate deep threat. His injury status ahead of the team's game against the Dolphins will be worth monitoring.
Here are the latest updates on Brown's injury status before Sunday's game.
Latest updates on A.J. Brown's injuries before Patriots vs. Dolphins
Brown was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, and he did not participate at all during Thursday's or Friday's practice. On Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel said the 29-year-old is questionable to play against the Dolphins.
This is not a great position for the Patriots or Brown to be in. Brown has a degenerative knee issue (which was one of the reasons trading for him on its own was a risky move for New England, let alone trading a future first-round pick for him), and for this to potentially take him out of a game against a division rival (even if it is just Miami) is a bit concerning.
As it stands, Brown isn't officially ruled out for Sunday's game, and the Patriots are likely just banking on him getting some additional rest to work everything out, but it's tough to imagine that he will suit up against the Dolphins. He and the Patriots are already on a long week after their loss to the Chicago Bears last Thursday night, and there is a case to be made that maybe they brought him back too soon anyway (he looked very slow in the two games since his return).
Still, Brown's injury status is worth monitoring for New England fans. The Patriots are already dealing with injuries to the receiver corps (Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs are both on the injured reserve), and if Brown misses their game against the Dolphins, they will only have three healthy receivers on the roster (Efton Chism III, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams; even if they make an addition, it's likely just to have another body, not to actually game plan for).
New England is looking to bounce back after losing its last game, but if Brown is unable to go, then that's going to be another challenge for the team to overcome as it looks to get back in the win column.
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