The Patriots went into this offseason with a clear idea of what they were missing, and A.J. Brown was supposed to help solve it. Since Julian Edelman retired after the 2020 season, New England has not had a true superstar playmaker for its quarterbacks, and Mike Vrabel wanted Drake Maye to have that kind of weapon in Year 3.
That plan has barely had time to breathe. Brown spent Weeks 2 through 5 on injured reserve, so the Patriots never got the full version of the upgrade they were hoping for. Even after Week 7, the connection with Maye still hasn’t fully shown up.
Brown deserves some leeway for what’s happened over the last two games. They were his first games back, and one of them came against the Bears on a short week.
Still, the Patriots need more than a gradual warm-up here. Josh McDaniels has to find a way to get Brown open sooner rather than later, because Chicago essentially erased him from the game last Thursday night, and that does nothing for Maye or the offense.
This is not unfamiliar territory for McDaniels. He has coached receivers of Brown’s stature before, including Randy Moss and Stefon Diggs, so this shouldn’t be uncharted ground. The Patriots are not at the point of abandoning the experiment, but it could go sideways quickly if the offensive coordinator doesn’t get it moving.
Brown’s second game back, last Thursday, was better than his return against the Jets, when he caught 3 of 6 passes for 48 yards. But that’s still well short of what New England brought him in for this summer.
After the loss to the Bears, Brown spoke with reporters and said defenses will naturally focus on him, which creates chances for his teammates even if it doesn’t maximize his own production.
A.J. Brown says that defenses are intentionally taking him out of the game:
"I know what type of player I am...I get a lot of attention, teams try and take me away and it gives a lot of opportunities for other guys to make plays."
- @CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/Bh7f7J1XBb
- Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) October 23, 2026
That’s the reality for a receiver with Brown’s profile, and the Patriots should be able to work around it. The issue now is whether McDaniels can do enough to free him up. If not, the trade will start to look like a major miss.
Brown is the kind of player the Patriots have been desperate for, and there’s a reason he’s put together seven straight seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Teams he has played for have never had much trouble folding him into the offense, and New England can’t afford to be the exception.
With defenses likely to keep shading toward him every week, the Patriots have to adjust quickly. McDaniels has options to explore, from play-action looks and other misdirection to moving Brown around the formation or asking Maye to fit throws into tighter windows.
There’s no time to wait around for the schedule to soften up. The path ahead only gets tougher, which makes this a problem the Patriots need to solve now.
In Other News...
Patriots Punt Decision Says Plenty About Mike Vrabels 2026 Plan
The Patriots have settled one small but telling piece of their 2026 roster by releasing punter Bryce Baringer from injured reserve, a move that clears the way for Mitch Wishnowsky to take over as the teams main option. Mike Vrabel framed the decision as a straightforward one, saying the club wanted Baringer to have a chance to chase other opportunities while also thanking him for what he brought to New England.
Wishnowsky now looks like the steady choice in a job that often gets overlooked until field position starts swinging games. He brings the kind of NFL experience and consistency Vrabel clearly values, and this move fits the broader tone of a team trying to sharpen its special teams identity while giving an injured player room to land on his feet. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Got A Painful Reminder About Drake Mayes Missing Weapon
The Patriots have spent the better part of the last couple of drafts trying to clean up the damage from a 2024 class that mostly missed the mark, with Drake Maye standing out as the lone real success story. Their recent haul has looked better, but the roster still has obvious holes, especially on offense, where every promising addition is supposed to help give Maye a more stable foundation and keep the rebuild moving forward.
One of those reminders came in a hurry against a receiver the Patriots passed on, even as they were adding TreVeyon Henderson to the mix. Luther Burden III made New England pay in a big way in Week 7, which only sharpened the question of whether the Patriots addressed their biggest needs in the right order and whether one of the best playmakers available might have been the missing piece for Maye all along. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Be Winning The Kayshon Boutte Trade After All
The Patriots moved on from Kayshon Boutte before the season, sending the wideout to Houston in a deal that brought back Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. In the months since, New England has watched its receiver room sort itself out in other ways, with contributions coming from players such as Efton Chism III and DeMario Douglas while the club keeps reshaping the bottom of the roster.
Bouttes early run with the Texans has not forced the Patriots to second-guess the decision, and the draft pick has already been put to use by New England in a separate move for Corey Kiner out of Arizona. For a team still trying to squeeze value from every asset, the trade is looking less like a simple swap and more like another example of patience paying off, even if the full return is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]