New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown is back on the practice field, but it’s unclear whether that means he’ll play Sunday against the New York Jets.
Brown was a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday after the Patriots designated him to return from injured reserve. It marked his first practice work since sustaining a high right ankle sprain in New England’s season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
His availability against New York is “still up in the air,” Brown said Thursday.
“I felt pretty good,” Brown said, adding that he plans to increase his workload gradually and see how the ankle responds.
Brown said the ultimate decision will belong to coach Mike Vrabel, with New England mindful of more than simply getting its three-time Pro Bowl receiver back for one game.
“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,” Brown said.
The Patriots (3-2) face a compressed schedule starting with Sunday’s AFC East matchup with the Jets (2-3) because they travel to play the Chicago Bears four days later on Oct. 22.
Brown was injured during the third quarter against Seattle and subsequently landed on injured reserve. He caught three passes for 26 yards before exiting his New England debut.
The Patriots acquired the 29-year-old from the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason with the expectation that he would become one of quarterback Drake Maye’s primary targets.
Brown said one encouraging sign during his rehabilitation came at the team facility, when he progressed enough to play tag with his 4-year-old son.
“It felt good just to be back on the grass practicing,” Brown said. “Working on the side is a little boring.”