A.J. Brown's first season with the New England Patriots hasn't exactly gone according to plan so far.
He was brought to New England to become Drake Maye's new No. 1 target, as someone who can stretch the field, take the top off the defense, and add a whole new dynamic to the Patriots' offense. But about halfway through the season, none of that has happened.
The three-time All-Pro receiver sustained a high-ankle sprain early in his Patriots debut and exited the game early. Then he missed the next four games after being placed on the injured reserve. And then he returned to the field and played two games and looked awful (six receptions on 16 targets for 75 yards; dropped what felt like every other pass thrown to him). And then he missed each of the team's two games because his knee flared up.
Now, heading into the Patriots' Week 10 matchup against the Detroit Lions in Germany, Brown is practicing and has made the trip. Whether he plays or not remains to be seen, but the fact of the matter is that New England may have already rushed Brown back once, and it backfired; fans better hope it doesn't happen again.
The Patriots need to be cautious with A.J. Brown
I want Brown on the field for the Patriots as much as you do. On paper, he's a crucial part of New England's success this season, and if things go even halfway as expected, he could play a big role in Maye's development.
But if he's not going to be 100% (or at least any more than whatever he was when he returned almost a month ago), then there is no reason for the Patriots to bring him back so soon, especially since they have a bye week in Week 11 and then face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night in Week 12.
That is plenty of time for the 29-year-old to rest up and not risk anything.
Maybe the Patriots just want to get Brown on the field, even in a limited role, before the bye week to just get reacclimated. At the end of the day, he hasn't been able to find his groove in New England yet, and considering that the team still has playoff aspirations, it will need him to be at his best in order to go on a deep playoff run.
However, Brown is way too important for the Patriots to rush back onto the field. If they bring him back too soon, it could backfire against them if he reaggravates something and needs to miss more time, and that is not something they should risk.
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