The New England Patriots made the offseason’s biggest move this summer when they traded for wide receiver A.J. Brown. The Patriots sent the Eagles a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick to reunite Brown with former head coach Mike Vrabel and give the New England offense a legitimate number-one receiving option.
Brown is coming off four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and played a major role in Philadelphia’s 2024 Super Bowl title run. However, things soured between Brown and the team, making him available for the Patriots to trade for. The hope was that pairing him with third-year quarterback Drake Maye would take the young signal caller to new heights, much like Stefon Diggs did for Josh Allen.
Brown made his debut for New England in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, catching 3 passes for 26 yards before suffering a high ankle sprain. That injury landed Brown on injured reserve, and he has missed the past four games.
Today, Patriots fans got good news: head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Brown was designated to return as of today. That means the team has opened his 21-day practice window, and he has until then to return to the active roster. If he can’t rejoin the team, he will land on season-ending IR.
Brown’s return couldn’t have come at a better time, as Maye and the Patriots offense are beginning to hit their stride. Maye went toe-to-toe with Josh Allen when New England faced Buffalo two weeks ago. He went 22 of 37 for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a game-winning score to Efton Chism III.
This past week, he had his best game of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders. He went 24 of 34 for 374 yards and 4 touchdowns. His top receivers in that matchup were Kyle Williams (91 yards), DeMario Douglas (65 yards), and Chism III (57 yards).
With Brown returning, the offense should only get more prolific. They will need him to return to form if they hope to challenge the Bills for the AFC East crown. They’re currently in second place behind the 4-1 Bills, but they have a head-to-head win and one more game to play later in the season.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/ipKDcYk
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