New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been eager to get star wide receiver A.J. Brown back on the practice field. After missing the previous four weeks with an ankle injury, the three-time All-Pro wide receiver returned to practice this week and officially opened the window for his eventual return to the active roster.
Brown recorded three catches for 26 yards on four targets against the Seahawks before going down with a high ankle sprain. He has worked hard behind the scenes to get healthy and help turn the Patriots' offense into the elite unit most expected it would be before the season started.
“I’ve been checking in with him, and I’m looking forward to seeing him when he gets a chance to get back on the field," Maye said, when appearing
on WEEI's Rich & Ken with Ted Johnson. "It’s always good to have a bunch of different guys makings plays, and it’ll be good to see No. 1 back out there in action.”
The Patriots' offense has still managed to function at a high level without Brown, especially in the last two weeks against the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders.
Last week, Maye torched the Raiders for 374 passing yards and four touchdowns, along with 25 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. That came a week after he outdueled Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the road at Orchard Park.
Adding Brown to that mix should make the offense even more potent and tough to defend for opposing NFL defenses.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots QB Drake Maye reacts to having A.J. Brown back at practice













