Overview
- Coach Mike Vrabel said there is a chance Brown could begin practicing this week, the most recent update as New England considers opening his 21-day return window.
- Brown has been on injured reserve since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the Sept. 9 season opener and has now missed the four-game minimum that makes him eligible to return.
- Any return requires stepwise medical testing on the practice field to check balance, jogging, and live reps before the Patriots can place him back on the active roster.
- The Patriots produced a 45-17 offensive outburst without Brown, which reduces pressure to rush him, but Brown’s availability would materially bolster a receiver room thinned by Mack Hollins’ placement on IR.
- Brown was a blockbuster offseason acquisition and his return would likely raise Drake Maye’s passing upside and shift fantasy value away from secondary receivers such as DeMario Douglas.