AJ Brown delivered a valuable update regarding his return from injury ahead of the New England Patriots' Week 6 matchup this weekend.
Brown suffered a high ankle sprain during the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. This resulted in New England placing him on injured reserve, sidelining him for the next four games.
Brown returned to his first practice as he looks to be ready in time for the Week 6 matchup. He spoke with media on Thursday, per ESPN. His update on his timetable was positive while emphasizing patience with his full recovery.
“I felt pretty good,” Brown said while noting he was taking a “one step at a time” approach, which included seeing how the ankle responded Thursday in a practice with full shoulder pads that promised to be more physical.
“Obviously it's going to be a Coach Vrabel decision, to see where I'm at and make the better decision for the long haul, not just for temporarily,” he said.
What lies ahead for Patriots amid AJ Brown's update
AJ Brown also said he got motivation during his rehab thanks to his 4-year-old son Deuce, who wanted to play tag with him.
“Besides the [athletic] training staff, who did a really good job, what motivated me to get back was chasing my son again,” Brown said. “Because as soon as I got home, he wanted me to run around and play. I was like, ‘I can't chase you right now.' That kind of motivated me.
Article Continues Below“Then it got to the point where I started doing a little more and we started playing tag and that's when I knew I was getting back into it — making him miss.”
New England has a 3-2 record on the season, sitting at second place in the AFC East Division standings. They are above the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins while trailing the Buffalo Bills.
The Patriots will look forward to their next matchup, being at home. They host the Jets in Week 6 as kickoff commences on Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. ET.