A.J.

Brown

Brown was unable to practice again Friday, and the 29-year-old will not be able to roll against the Green Bay secondary. It’s a second-consecutive missed game for Brown, who has played in just three games since his blockbuster deal to the Patriots prior to the season. DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism and Kyle Williams will be Drake Maye’s top wideout targets for the game against Green Bay. Not ideal.

Brown seems highly unlikely to play in Week 9 against the Packers. The Patriots could shut him down for a little while, with the goal of getting his degenerative knee and early-season high-ankle sprain healed. For now, fantasy managers should make backup plans in the short term.

Brown’s recurring knee issue flared up during practice last week. He was downgraded to a DNP on Thursday and Friday. The Pats then ruled him out over the weekend. Brown has been dealing with this injury for years, and it was something the Pats acknowledged when they traded for him in the offseason. It wouldn’t be surprising for the team to give him multiple weeks off in preparation for a playoff run. Head coach Mike Vrabel sidestepped a question about putting Brown back on injured reserve. At a minimum, we’re not expecting Brown to suit up this week.

This is basically a non-answer from Vrabel, who said the team will see how Brown progresses through the week and how he responds to treatment. Brown missed Week 8’s game against the Dolphins after he suffered what was described as a flare up” of a knee issue that has plagued him for some time. It’s far too early to assume Brown will be able to go in Week 9 against the Packers given the timing of his injury last week, so his status will be one to keep an eye on throughout the week.

This was always thought to be the case after Brown missed Thursday and Friday with a “flare up” of an existing knee injury, the same issue that ultimately saw the Rams back out of trade negotiations this offseason. Brown’s absence comes at a horrible time for a team already without Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs, leaving only DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism as healthy wide receivers on the active roster. Fantasy managers in a bind could consider taking a shot on upside through Williams’ downfield role against a Dolphins team bleeding explosive passing through the first seven weeks.

This feels like a very optimistic questionable after Brown missed the last two practices of the week with a new knee tweak. Brown-reliant managers should be making contingency plans ready for Sunday. “We’ll see when he comes in tomorrow, and we’ll make a decision,” Vrabel said.

Brown has now missed back-to-back practices and is at serious risk of missing Week 8’s game against the Dolphins. Brown’s knee injury was reported as a “flare-up” from a previous knee injury, which is never a good sign for a player. Brown has been dealing with injuries like this for a few years but has always found a way to play through them. While it’s possible he ends up doing so again this week, fantasy managers should begin considering other options in the event he is held out.

The downgrade in participation raises serious questions surrounding his potential availability when the Patriots face the Dolphins in Week 8. Brown had been mostly limited in practice since being activated from injured reserve due to a separate ankle issue, with the absence Thursday marking the first fully missed practice in that window. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his status Friday as they make plans for their weekend ahead. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the veteran receiver’s absence is due to a “flare up” of a previous knee injury, placing his status for Sunday in doubt.

Setting Brown’s drops aside, Brown still looked like he was working his way back from his high-ankle sprain last week against the Bears. He was laboring through his routes at times, particularly downfield. Targets should continue flowing his way, but Brown is perhaps best viewed as a volume-driven WR2 against the Dolphins in Week 8.

Brown has not yet clicked with his new team after going down with injury in Week 1 and spending the subsequent four games on injured reserve. He committed yet another drop against the Bears after three drops the week prior, this time on what would have been a long gain down the left sideline. Brown’s burst off the line and at the top of routes appears to remain hampered, something both the Patriots and Brown’s fantasy managers hope will remedy in short order. You can’t really sit Brown at this point, but fantasy managers have to be growing impatient of their first or second-round selection. Brown remains a teeth-gritting start ahead of a Week 8 matchup with the Dolphins.