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A.J. Brown Injury Update
WR · New England Patriots · Status, timeline and fantasy outlook
Updated · synced from the live injury report
Current status
OUT
Knee issue, not just the ankle, kept him out Sunday
Latest
A.J. Brown’s current injury designation is shown in the live status box above, which updates automatically from the official NFL injury report. He sat out Sunday’s game against Green Bay with the knee issue, and Adam Schefter reported this week that the knee — not the ankle — is the bigger long-term concern, with New England reportedly aware of a degenerative knee issue before trading for him in June, per Boston.com and Newsweek.
He had returned to practice that Wednesday for the first time since the ankle sprain, but was unable to finish the session once the knee issue surfaced; Vrabel said the ankle itself was not the problem.
Fantasy Action: Brown is week-to-week now that the knee is reported as a longer-term, possibly degenerative issue rather than a short absence. Bench him and check the live injury report before Week 10; DeMario Douglas is New England’s top target whenever Brown and TreVeyon Henderson are both out.
Injury timeline — 2026
| Aug 2026 | Dislocated left thumb in camp; missed no time. |
| Sept 9 | Hurt his right ankle in Week 1 at Seattle; left early in the third quarter, in a walking boot afterward. |
| Sept 10–11 | MRI confirms a high-ankle sprain; placed on IR (out at least four games). |
| Sept 13 | NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport: about six weeks, no surgery. |
| Sept 24 | Schefter: recovery “encouraging,” possibly on the quicker side of the timeline. |
| Oct 14–17 | Returned to practice Wednesday, limited through Friday; eligible to be activated for Sunday vs. the Jets (Boston.com, Portland Press Herald). |
| Oct 17 | Activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jets; officially questionable (Patriots.com). |
| Oct 30 | New knee issue surfaces in practice; DNP Thursday and Friday ahead of Week 8 at Miami; Questionable (Boston.com). |
| Oct 31 | Downgraded to Out for Sunday’s game at Miami, per our tracked feed. |
| Nov 4 | Did not practice Wednesday with the same knee issue, carrying a Questionable tag ahead of New England’s Week 9 home game against Green Bay. |
| Nov 6 | Ruled Out for Sunday’s home game against Green Bay, per our tracked feed. |
| Nov 8 | Sat out the loss to Green Bay with the knee issue. |
| Nov 9 | Schefter reports the knee, not the ankle, is the bigger concern, and that New England knew of a degenerative knee issue before trading for him in June (Boston.com, Newsweek). |
Earlier seasons
| Season | Injury | Games missed |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hamstring | 1 |
| 2024 | Hamstring (Grade 2) | 3 |
| 2023 | Knee (playoffs) | 1 playoff game |
| 2021 | Chest / rib | 3 |
| 2021 | Hamstring (Grade 2) | 1 |
| 2020 | Knee bruise | 2 |
2025 season: 78 catches, 121 targets, 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns in 15 games (Philadelphia).
Sources
A.J. Brown news
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Jake Ferguson, Xavier Worthy Hurt in Week 9 Finale; A.J. Brown, Garrett Wilson Also Sit
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A.J. Brown, Mike Evans Out; Hunter Henry Active: Late Inactives
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Mike Evans, Christian Kirk Out for 49ers; DJ Moore, Keon Coleman Clear for Bills-Vikings MNF
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Kyler Murray Out, Carson Wentz Starts for Vikings; Skattebo, Wilson Sit Week 9
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A.J. Brown, Henderson Out for Patriots; Wilson Ruled Out at KC
Frequently asked about A.J. Brown’s injury
When will A.J. Brown return from his injury?
He already returned once: the Patriots activated him from injured reserve on Oct. 17 after a high-ankle sprain. A separate knee issue has since come up and kept him out of Sunday’s game against Green Bay; Adam Schefter reported this week it may be a longer-term, possibly degenerative issue, so his return timeline is week-to-week. His current official designation is shown in the live status box at the top of this page.
Should I drop A.J. Brown?
No. His current game-status is shown in the live box above, but a 1,000-yard receiver in 2025 is worth holding regardless of a given week’s designation.
Does A.J. Brown need surgery?
No. Reporting from Sept 13 says the high-ankle sprain will heal without surgery.
Where he ranks this week
Out Knee issue, not just the ankle, kept him out Sunday
Get A.J. Brown news the moment it breaks.