New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that A.J. Brown could return this week from the high ankle sprain that has kept the star receiver on injured reserve since the season opener, though he stopped short of promising anything.
Asked at his day-after press conference whether Brown would be back for Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets, Vrabel answered briefly: “There’s a chance.” He offered no further detail on the plan.
The timing matters for a team that has found its footing without its biggest offseason addition. Brown has now sat out four games, the minimum for a player on injured reserve, so he is eligible to return. New England has not yet opened his 21-day practice window, which is the first step: the club must do that before Brown can take part in practice, and only then can he be added back to the 53-man roster.
From @GMFB: Updates on a few #Patriots injuries, as they have two games in the next 11 days. pic.twitter.com/wChuX7ZWyX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2026
What is reported and what is confirmed
Vrabel’s answer is the only on-the-record word from the club. Everything else comes from reporters. Tom Pelissero reported that Brown has been pushing hard to get back on the field, and Mike Garafolo said the hope inside the building is that he plays against the Jets. Brown was seen in the Patriots’ locker room wearing cleats and moving without an obvious limp.
None of that settles his status for Sunday. Early projections after the injury put his recovery at six to eight weeks, which would point to a return later in October. Whether the Patriots open his window this week, and how he handles practice if they do, remain unknown.
Brown’s short season so far
Brown got hurt in the opener on Wednesday, September 9, at Seattle, a 13-10 loss in which he caught three of four targets for 26 yards. New England had acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles in June, giving up first-round compensation in the 2028 draft plus a fifth-rounder in 2027, a price that made him the centre of the passing game the Patriots planned around Drake Maye.
The offense sputtered early without him but has surged lately. The Patriots have won two in a row to reach 3-2, most recently a 45-17 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in which Maye completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a fifth score. DeMario Douglas caught two of those touchdowns and Kyle Williams turned three catches into 91 yards. Romeo Doubs has been the top receiver while Brown has been out.
The Patriots are also managing other injuries. Vrabel said left tackle Will Campbell is day to day with a knee injury from Sunday’s game, and running back TreVeyon Henderson is dealing with an ankle problem.
What comes next
The Patriots host the Jets on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT at Gillette Stadium. Any move to open Brown’s practice window would show up on the transactions page, and his practice participation will appear on the injury report from Wednesday.
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