News Article
Published
Oct 11, 2026 at 11:37 AM EDT
New England Patriots wide receiver AJ Brown is eligible to be activated off injured reserve in Week 6.
It's unclear whether that means a move will be made.
Brown, who suffered an ankle injury in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, was placed on injured reserve almost immediately and has since been working his way back with the idea that he could be activated as soon as Week 6. ESPN's Mike Reiss even reported that he seemed to be in high spirits this week:
"One thing that stood out from the Patriots' locker room last week was veteran receiver A.J. Brown's presence. He was more visible than he had been in prior weeks," Reiss wrote. "Brown was wearing cleats, indicating he had been doing rehab work on the field as he works to return from a right high ankle sprain, and seemed to be in good spirits as he chatted with locker mate Drake Maye and others. Brown is eligible to return from the injured reserve list after Sunday's game against the Raiders."
Brown being healthy enough isn't the only factor to be weighed in his eventual return, though.
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The Patriots' schedule could dictate the timing of the return, as the Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets will come just four days prior to the club's Week 7 matchup with the Chicago Bears.
Brown could very well be forced into the lineup due to other injuries at the position, as Mack Hollins' placement on injured reserve leaves the club with just four wide receivers: Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III. It's unlikely that he would be able to play in two games within a four-game span after missing more than a month, though, so the club will have to weigh the need of another body versus the strength of the matchup.
If you're making the decision, would you rather have him against New York or Chicago?
New England will learn a lot in its matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Williams could finally break out and ease some of the tension regarding the group's overall depth. Doubs and Chism could keep pushing in the right direction. Douglas always seems to have had another gear that has yet to be tapped into. Drake Maye has also leaned on his tight ends and running backs in the passing game, so perhaps those groups could ease the pressure on the superstar to return.
None of them are A.J. Brown, though.