Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown returns to practice after missing last four games

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England’s star wide receiver returned to the practice field Wednesday.

A.J. Brown has been on injured reserve for the last four weeks and thus missed the Patriots’ last four games, dealing with a high ankle sprain.

Brown injured his ankle in the Patriots’ Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks. He was then placed on injured reserve, which mandates a player miss a minimum of four weeks. That timeline is up for Brown, so the Patriots opened his window to return Wednesday.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged the time Brown has missed when he was asked what Brown will bring to the offense upon his return.

“He hasn’t been out there, so I can’t tell you until we actually see it,” Vrabel said. “He hasn’t been out there for four weeks, so we’ll get him back out there practicing and see if he’s ready to go in a couple days. And if not, then we have a 21-day window, and we’ll go from there.”

The 21-day window Vrabel mentioned is the timeline the Patriots are under to officially activate Brown off injured reserve and add him back to the 53-man roster. Vrabel commended Brown’s maturity and approach during the time he’s been sidelined.

“I think he’s stayed engaged,” Vrabel said. “I think it’s difficult sometimes to stay engaged. I think his routine was really good, his ability to be around guys in the meetings, and then also focus on his rehab. He’s just treating everything as a pro, being where he’s supposed to be and working hard to get back.”

Brown’s teammates are excited for him to be back in the fold for the offense.

“He’s an all-around receiver,” Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams said. “He can do from short to intermediate to long. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do. He has all the tools to be where he is now, so I’m excited.”

Brown did not speak to the media Wednesday, which is common for players entering their first practice back from injury. Quarterback Drake Maye smiled as he spoke about Brown’s return after practice.

“Yeah, I think it’s awesome,” Maye said. “It’s always a warm welcome in the huddle to have him back in there, so looking forward to seeing him progress, and it’s always good to see him back out there.”

The Patriots have not yet officially activated Brown, but are able to do so before their next game. New England hosts the New York Jets Sunday at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.

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