Excitement is in the air in New England this week as wide receiver A.J. Brown was finally activated from injured reserve, officially opening the 21-day window to return him to the Patriots' game-day roster this season.
He suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against the Seahawks, a devastating blow to the team's offensive plans that may have contributed to their offensive struggles in the first three games of the season.
He is now eligible to be activated for this week's matchup against the Jets, and many analysts and fans are debating whether that's the best move. The argument is that it's just the Jets, so do they really need Brown on the field, especially after Efton Chism, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams played so well last week?
Or should they wait to bring him back for their Week 7 matchup against the Bears on Thursday Night Football, which will presumably be a tougher opponent?
If anyone was hoping for clarity on their plans, they quickly hit a dead end when reporters spoke with Brown on Thursday morning.
A.J. Brown refuses to give reporters even a breadcrumb about his potential Week 6 return
It's surely strategic, since Mike Vrabel wouldn't definitively say whether Brown would play, and that's the script the receiver followed when asked about his status for the game.
From his smile, one could assume he knows he's playing. But nothing in New England is ever easy to decipher, so it could all just be a ruse.
A.J. Brown, who says his status for Sunday’s game is “still up in the air”, on his return to practice: pic.twitter.com/klcSacHeSW
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 15, 2026
Given that they are preparing to face another divisional opponent, they may be playing it coy to keep the Jets on their toes and avoid giving them too much ammunition as they prepare for Sunday's game.
And to be fair, Josh McDaniels said this week that the offense is game-planning as if Brown will be back, and if he isn't, further underscoring the uncertainty around his return.
Regardless, it's good to see him back on the practice field, and the excitement about his connection with Drake Maye growing is palpable. It wasn't immediate in Week 1, and his injury came right as things started to pick up, so what we saw in training camp is now a distant memory.
The hope is that they can pick up where they left off and that Brown can add a much-needed dynamic to the receiving corps, especially since Mack Hollins was placed on injured reserve last week.
It couldn't be a better time, with the Jets coming off an impressive defensive masterclass against the Browns last week, so Brown's abilities will be more needed this week than they have been in other games.
If he doesn't return this week, then facing a good Bears team is a solid game to return in, as well.
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