FOXBOROUGH – After practicing Wednesday, the first time since suffering a sprained ankle in the season opener on September 9, AJ Brown took the podium with a big smile and a word of warning about his availability for Sunday’s game against the Jets.
“I feel pretty good. It’s one step at a time for me. Every day I try to increase my load and see how I react,” he said, adding: “It was good to be back, on the grass, training. Working on the side is really boring so…”
Brown was on the limited participant list, and there wasn’t much to be gained from watching him practice during the short time the media is allowed to watch. The ankle was taped and his straight line movements seemed fine.
But the intensity of practice increased today — no more “bumps,” as Brown noted — which means ankle sensation tomorrow and Friday will likely determine whether he returns against New York or stays on the sidelines with an eye on the game in Chicago next Thursday.
“It’s still up in the air,” Brown said. “Obviously it will be Coach Vrabel’s decision to see where I am and make the best decision in the long term, not just temporarily.”
Drake Maye certainly looks forward to getting Brown back, whenever that may be. It seemed clear that the Patriots would run their passing attack with their big offseason trade acquisition, targeting him five times (3 catches and zero DPI) in just over two quarters against the Seahawks. It took some time for Maye and the rest of the crew to recalibrate, but the operation the wide receiver will join has been much more effective over the past two weeks.
“I think you know what he can add,” Maye said of Brown. “He’s been a player in this league. It’s not like we haven’t seen him as a player in this league, and there aren’t many like him walking around in this league. So, I’m going to try to do my part to give him chances and continue to spread the ball around for guys who are open. We’ve had a lot of guys step up. So, I’m looking forward to continuing that momentum and adding another piece whenever he feels ready to go out.”
How, or will the offense change, with their No. 1 wide receiver returning to the lineup?
“Once we know if he’s back, we’ll obviously have those conversations,” Josh McDaniels said Thursday before practice, emphasizing that there was no way to make up time missed due to the injury. The Pats offensive coordinator also can’t say for sure how Aaron GlennBrown’s defense will play Brown if he’s there because, well, he hasn’t been there much.
“It’s still difficult for us to say because we only played for
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