The New England Patriots activated receiver A.J. Brown from injured reserve on Saturday, October 17, clearing him to play for the first time since he sprained his ankle in the season opener, with Sunday’s AFC East meeting with the New York Jets next on the schedule.
The club confirmed that Brown is back on the 53-man roster. Adam Schefter reported that Brown is expected to play against the Jets. In the same round of moves, New England called up safety Elliott Davison from the practice squad for the game and released running back Hassan Haskins from the practice squad, Mike Reiss reported.
Patriots activate WR A.J. Brown to the 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/H8txrBvF9V
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 17, 2026
Four games on the sideline
Brown got hurt early in the second half of the opener at Seattle on September 10, when a defender landed on his ankle as he went to the ground for a short pass. He had three catches for 26 yards on four targets before leaving, and the Patriots lost 13-10. The diagnosis was a high ankle sprain, and he went on injured reserve with an expected absence of four to six weeks.
He missed the next four games, and New England opened his practice window on Wednesday, when he worked on a limited basis. Coach Mike Vrabel said early in the week that the team wanted to see how Brown handled practice before deciding, and he praised the way the receiver had approached his rehab. “He’s just treating everything as a pro,” Vrabel said on Wednesday.
Saturday’s activation also puts Brown in line for two games in five days: the Jets at home and a Thursday night trip to Chicago.
Patriots officially activated WR A.J. Brown to their 53-man roster. He is expected to play Sunday versus the Jets. pic.twitter.com/jvNfgE9yv5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 17, 2026
An offense already on a roll
New England went 3-1 without Brown and arrives at 3-2. Drake Maye has thrown seven touchdown passes in the last two games, three in a 29-26 win at Buffalo and four more in a 45-17 home rout of the Las Vegas Raiders, when he completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards. Brown now rejoins a receiving group that has kept producing in his absence.
The Jets, 2-3, beat the Cleveland Browns 17-12 last week and also have a receiver back: they activated Omar Cooper Jr. from injured reserve on Saturday.
What comes next
The Patriots host the Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT; follow it in the Jets-Patriots Game Center. New England then plays at the Chicago Bears on Thursday, October 22, at 8:15 p.m. EDT. All of Saturday’s moves are on the transactions page.
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