Why Patriots' Schedule Could Complicate A.J. Brown's Timeline For Return From Injury
· Yahoo Sports
Why Patriots' Schedule Could Complicate A.J. Brown's Timeline For Return From Injury originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The A.J. Brown era for the Patriots hasn't gotten a good start, with the wide receiver catching just three passes in a Week 1 loss before going down with a high ankle sprain.
Visit newsbetting.club for more information.
Brown is set to miss a minimum of four games for New England, placed on IR on Friday, per ESPN. With Brown's injury expected to sideline him for around four weeks regardless, the Patriots decided to put him on IR, officially locking in that timeline.
Based on the four-week timeline, the earliest Brown could return is in Week 6 against the Jets, a Sunday afternoon game on Oct. 18. That will primarily depend on how his ankle heals — but New England's schedule could also make his return complicated.
Here's why the Patriots' schedule could throw off Brown's return, making it even longer before the star receiver is back on the field.
Why Patriots' Schedule Could Complicate A.J. Brown's Return Timeline
If Brown isn't ready for the first game he's eligible to come off IR, against the Jets in Week 6, it would appear likely he then wouldn't be ready until Week 8, at least.
After that Sunday matchup against the Jets, the Patriots will have a short turnaround to face the Bears in Chicago on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 7. The Sunday-to-Thursday turnaround is typically the most difficult for NFL teams to manage — and if Brown can't go for Week 6, he'd only have a few more days to be ready for Week 7.
A moderately realistic return date for Brown, then, may be Week 8 against the Dolphins, which is a road game on Nov. 1. That would give him some added time to heal beyond the initial four-week prognosis.
Ideally, the Patriots will have Brown back by Week 6 against New York. But if he's not ready then, it may be another two weeks.