The New England Patriots are evidently close to having a key offensive playmaker rejoin their lineup.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel announced the team would designed wide receiver A.J. Brown to return from injured reserve (IR) on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
"A.J. will be out there at practice," Vrabel told reporters. "We'll see how that goes."
Brown has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain during the Patriots' Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He was originally expected to miss six weeks because of the injury, but NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports Brown "has been pushing to practice this week" in the hopes of playing against the Jets.
The Patriots' decision to designate Brown to return from IR will open a 21-day practice window for the 28-year-old
receiver. He must be added back to the team's active roster by the end of that 21-day window, or he will be ruled out for the remainder of the season.
It isn't clear whether Brown will have a chance to suit up for the Patriots' Week 6 game against the New York Jets or if he will need a longer ramp-up period to work his way back into game shape.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patriots share good news about injured wide receiver A.J. Brown
