New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Friday that wide receiver A.J. Brown’s status for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins is questionable.
“His status is questionable,” Vrabel said of the veteran wideout.
Brown did not practice Thursday and was not spotted at Friday’s session after being limited Wednesday. The absences stem from a knee issue that flared up in addition to the right ankle problem he has managed all season.
Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That injury placed him on injured reserve and kept him out of the next four games.
He returned in Week 6 against the New York Jets and played again four days later in a Thursday night loss to the Chicago Bears. In those two outings he caught six passes for 75 yards.
For the season Brown has nine receptions for 101 yards on 20 targets with no touchdowns. He has averaged 11.2 yards per catch in the three games he has appeared in.
That production sits well below his career marks. Brown entered the week with 533 receptions for 8,130 yards and 56 touchdowns across 108 regular-season games, good for a 15.3-yard average.
The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowl selection was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in June. He has dealt with a degenerative knee condition in the past, and the latest flare-up has added uncertainty just days before a division game.
New England sits at 4-3 and second in the AFC East. Miami is 1-5. The Patriots are also without wide receivers Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs, leaving the receiving group thin if Brown cannot play.
DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism would be among the options available if Brown is sidelined. The team has not needed to elevate practice-squad receivers yet this season.
Brown has said he is still working through the ankle discomfort that limited him after the IR stint. He has described moments where the explosiveness returns and others where he is simply pushing through it.
Vrabel had said earlier in the week that he was not concerned about Brown’s slow start after the ankle injury. The coach noted drops and a contested catch that Brown has made in the past, adding that the offense needs to find its rhythm.
The Patriots lost 30-24 to the Bears last Thursday. Brown saw a season-high 90.7 percent of the offensive snaps in that game on short rest.
A win Sunday in Miami would improve New England to 5-3 and keep the team close to the division-leading Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins enter after a 28-25 victory over the Jets.
Brown played 132 of the Patriots’ 462 offensive snaps before the latest practice absences. His longest reception this season is 18 yards.
The final injury report will clarify whether Brown is active for the 4:25 p.m. kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Vrabel’s comments leave the decision open heading into the weekend.
