The four-week period of injured reserve designation has passed for wideout AJ Brown. Hence, the New England Patriots could bring him up as they play in Week 6 against the New York Jets.
However, per Mike Reiss of ESPN, AJ Brown is sending all the responsibility to head coach Mike Vrabel. “Obviously it’s going to be a Coach Vrabel decision, to see where I’m at and make the better decision for the long haul, not just for temporarily,” Brown said.
Although the Patriots release their injury report for the Jets game on Friday, they have until Saturday afternoon to officially activate AJ Brown from injured reserve. It will remain to be seen what decision is taken but Brown sayd he feels “pretty good.”
AJ Brown’s Pats stint got cut short from the get-go
Brown got injured in the second quarter of the 2026 NFL Kick-off game against the Seahawks. However, before he exited the game, he had three catches in four targets for 26 yards. He got injured in the one target he couldn’t catch.
AJ Brown appears to be down with an ankle injury pic.twitter.com/jrHAzo5SyZ
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 10, 2026
Brown was signed to become the primary weapon of this team, but he hasn’t even stepped on the field much. After losing four weeks of action, he could come back and face a feisty Jets team.
Is AJ Brown a good fit for the Patriots?
Drake Maye excels on tight-window throws, and Brown ranks near the top of the NFL in catches, first downs, and yards per route run in tight-window situations. Brown should be a true number-one receiver for Maye.
His presence opens up the rest of the playbook for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and helps balance the offense by drawing attention away from the run game.
Key takeaways
- Wide receiver A.J. Brown feels “pretty good” as the New England Patriots evaluate his activation.
- Head coach Mike Vrabel holds final decision on activating A.J. Brown from injured reserve.
- New England has until Saturday afternoon to activate A.J. Brown against the Jets.
