FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown is likely to be activated Saturday after missing the past four games with a right high ankle sprain, a source told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Patriots have an open spot on their 53-man roster, and activating Brown adds a premium pass-catching option for quarterback Drake Maye, starting with Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets.
In anticipation of Brown’s return, Maye compared the situation to basketball.
“I think you see it in the NBA; it’s probably the closest thing that I can think of,” Maye said earlier this week. “When they start doubling the best player once they get past half court, then they’re just leaving a corner 3 open or leaving a guy open for a dunk. So it’s kind of like playing receiver with a guy like that.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that have made plays now, so it’s going to be tough on defenses. But I know we’ve got a tough challenge this week, so looking forward to it.”
Brown sustained the injury early in the third quarter of the season opener Sept. 9. He returned to practice for the first time Wednesday and said coach Mike Vrabel would ultimately decide when he plays, noting a key consideration would be for the “long haul, not just for temporarily.”
Brown was limited throughout the week of practice, according to the Patriots’ injury report, and he will likely be eased back into the mix before taking on his usual heavy workload.
The Patriots (3-2), who also have wide receivers Romeo Doubs, Pop Douglas, Efton Chism III and Kyle Williams on the roster, visit the Chicago Bears on Thursday after Sunday’s game against the Jets (2-3).
