A.J. Brown is closing in on a much-needed return for the New England Patriots‘ Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets. The star wideout has been sidelined since the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, where he suffered a high-ankle sprain. New England placed him on IR the following day, forcing him to sit out the mandatory four-game minimum.
Before the injury cut his Patriots debut short, Brown caught three receptions for 26 yards. Now, the latest reports indicate that the team will likely activate the 29-year-old wide receiver off injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s kickoff.
A.J. Brown nears Patriots return after injury
Brown injured his ankle in the second half of New England’s 13-10 loss to Seattle in the season opener. Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett’s knee hit his ankle while he fell to the turf on a catch attempt. An initial X-ray report showed no fracture, and a later MRI confirmed he suffered a high-ankle sprain that did not require surgery.
New England went 3-1 without their top receiver to reach a 3-2 record before Week 6. Quarterback Drake Maye led that success last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, throwing for a season-high 374 yards and four touchdowns. Maye must maintain that production because wide receiver Mack Hollins — who leads the team with 15 receptions for 209 yards — is on injured reserve with a calf injury.
Brown returned to the practice field Wednesday for the first time since his injury. Head coach Mike Vrabel opened his 21-day practice window, listing the star receiver as limited throughout the week. He enters the weekend officially designated as questionable.
While it was initially believed he could miss up to six weeks with the high-ankle sprain, his progress signals a much faster recovery track. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported, “The #Patriots will likely activate WR AJ Brown off Injured Reserve to play against the #Jets on Sunday, sources say. Brown returned to practice this week after a stint on IR with a high-ankle sprain and now an anticipated return to the field.”
The #Patriots will likely activate WR AJ Brown off Injured Reserve to play against the #Jets on Sunday, sources say.
Brown returned to practice this week after a stint on IR with a high-ankle sprain and now an anticipated return to the field. https://t.co/UknZRnrv8T
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 17, 2026
On Thursday, Brown remained honest about his game-day availability, admitting his status is still up in the air. “I felt pretty good,” Brown said of his return to action. “It’s one step at a time.”
It remains to be seen what decision Coach Vrabel will make before kickoff on Sunday.
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