A.J. Brown was officially active Sunday for the Patriots' Week 6 game against the Jets at Gillette Stadium, marking his return after a four-game absence. He is back on the roster after a high-ankle sprain in Week 1 sent him to injured reserve.
That is the headline because Brown gives the Patriots another frontline weapon in a home game they had been waiting to reach with him available. The Patriots also had Christian Gonzalez, Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson active, while Carlton Davis III, Karon Prunty, Channing Canada, Dametrious Crownover and Tanner Arkin were inactive. Behren Morton was the emergency third quarterback.
Brown's return matters because this was not a quiet injury-marred stretch. He caught three passes for 26 yards in the season opener in Seattle and drew a 34-yard pass-interference penalty before the low catch attempt in the third quarter against the Seahawks changed his status. That play ended the first part of his season, and the Patriots had to wait through four games without him.
Even with Brown back, the expectation is not that he immediately carries a full workload. He returned to practice in a limited capacity this week, and the team has already signaled that he may need time to ramp up to game shape. That leaves the real question less about whether he will dress and more about how much he will actually be used once the game starts.
The Patriots are coming off a 45-point breakout win over the Raiders, and Brown's availability gives them another layer as they try to build on that result. The next thing to watch is simple: whether Sunday becomes a true return for Brown or just the first step back into a heavier role.
