A.J. Brown was held to three catches for 26 yards in the Patriots season loss to the Seahawks before he left the game with an ankle injury, and now we have more clarity on whether or not he’ll be available for New England when they face the Bills early in October.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first on the report of Brown’s timeline to return to the field from his high-ankle sprain:
Based on that report, simple math tells us Brown will not be on the field in Highmark Stadium in Week 4 against the Bills.
Jordan Schultz also surfaced a report on Brown, with a slightly different and less specific timetable:
Even if Brown recovers quickly, based on this report from Schultz, Brown still wouldn’t be ready to return by Week 4. However, if he is indeed placed on IR, it will guarantee Brown will be on the sidelines for the first game against the Bills this season.
Last season in the 13-12 victory over the Bills as a member of the Eagles, Brown was targeted seven times and had five receptions for 68 yards.
For as much as I bet Brown will be pushing to get back on the field, given his age and importance to this Patriots offense in Year 3 of the Drake Maye era, don’t be surprised if New England takes the slower, precautionary route with Brown nursing this injury.
We’ll have to continue to monitor this situation with a less than a month before the Patriots and Bills square off in Orchard Park.
Right now, it seems very unlikely that Brown plays in this game.
