New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had to play without his strongest weapon, A.J. Brown, on the field for the last four games. Even though the Patriots won three of their last four games, Maye definitely missed Brown’s presence on the perimeter. Now, the quarterback can finally reunite with the wideout and strive to improve the Patriots’ 3-2 record.
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The Patriots have activated Brown from injured reserve ahead of the Week 6 Sunday Night Football game against the New York Jets.
Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in his debut with the Patriots. Abiding by the NFL’s rulebook, the wide receiver stayed out of four games after entering the injured reserve list. Now, throughout the week, he had a limited appearance in the practice sessions. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he might even play on Sunday. But for now, he remains listed as questionable.
Brown’s return comes at a crucial point for the Patriots. Through the last four games, Maye recorded 76 completions for 1,050 yards and scored seven touchdowns. But the young QB has been rattled thoroughly after an extremely rough start, having been intercepted seven times entering Week 6. He was intercepted thrice in the game Brown was injured.
In his absence, Romeo Doubs has stepped up in the passing attack. He leads the WR room with 22 targets and 219 receiving yards. Maye has also relied on WR Mack Hollins and Efton Chism III, but Hollins has been put on IR. It is possible that Maye’s supporting cast will now consist of Brown, Doubs, and Chism.
Brown was expected to be a big part of the Patriots offense this season and came to the team by way of a highly-touted trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran was going to bring some much-needed experience and help out a young Drake Maye. Unfortunately, that partnership ran into a hiccup after Brown was injured in the opener itself.
After watching Brown return from injury to practice on Wednesday, Maye claimed that he looked forward to seeing him make progress. It definitely was a good feeling to have him back on the offensive team.
“You know what he can add,” Maye said of Brown’s return. “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 that roam around in this league. So, I’ll just try to do my part to give him some chances and keep on spreading the ball around for guys that are open.
“We’ve had a lot of guys step up. So, I’m looking forward to keeping that rolling and adding another piece whenever he feels like he’s ready to get out there.”
But according to Brown, coach Mike Vrabel has the final verdict on his return. Speaking on the press conference on Thursday, the receiver claimed that Vrabel needs to see where he’s at in his recovery and make “the better decision for the long haul.”
However, Maye was already excited about Brown’s return.
Drake Maye brings in NBA analogy to welcome A.J. Brown
“I think you see it in the NBA; it’s probably the closest thing that I can think of,” Maye said, according to ESPN. “When they start doubling the best player once they get past half court, then they’re just leaving a corner 3 open or leaving a guy open for a dunk. So it’s kind of like playing receiver with a guy like that. We’ve got a lot of guys that have made plays now, so it’s going to be tough on defenses. But I know we’ve got a tough challenge this week, so looking forward to it.”
Furthermore, Brown has already impressed the quarterback. After all, Maye addressed him as a “pro” and praised how Brown carries himself and “cares about the players.” Even though he didn’t play in the last four games, Maye noted that Brown watched the games closely and picked on a few things.
“I’m one step at a time,” Brown said about his return to the gridiron. “You know, right now I just want to practice and get through this practice because again, it’s steps for me as, as well it is for them to see what they need to see on film. Because obviously we got pads on [Thursdays] and that’s a step and then the next day that’s a step and then getting tackled is a whole other step. So, it’s a process and we’re taking it one day at a time.”
In the 2026 season, Brown has only three receptions for 26 yards. If Vrabel deems him healthy enough to come back to the field, Brown can help the Patriots’ slow offense get a boost.