Patriots fans have gone from excitement to anxiety around AJ Brown.
Brown’s thus far injury-riddled time with the Patriots has even made WEEI host Chris Curtis doubt that Brown will be on the field again this year.
“I don’t think we’ll see him for the rest of the season,” Curtis said, shocking the other hosts of the “Greg Hill Show.”
The Super Bowl champion is currently on New England’s injury report with ankle and knee injuries, but an update on the situation from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicates the real problem lies in his knee.
“It popped…I know it says ankle and knee, but it’s the knee,” Schefter said. “The knee held him out last week, and the knee threatens to hold him out this week. It’s a knee that I think raises concerns about how long he’s going to continue to play here in New England and produce at a high level.”
This isn’t the first time someone has heard of potential knee issues with Brown.
This was a topic before he was traded to the Patriots. Other teams that reportedly showed interest during the offseason were spooked by knee issues, including the Rams.
“Let’s go back to the offseason, when Philadelphia was shopping AJ Brown and they were talking to teams,” Schefter said. “One of the reasons I think there wasn’t more interest was because some teams had questions about his knee.
“In fact, when there were advanced discussions for a trade with the Los Angeles Rams that was at one point close to being completed…I think the Rams had concerns about his knee. Other teams’ concerns have now manifested themselves in New England this season.”
The three-time Pro Bowler played just 30 snaps in his Patriots debut in Week 1 before a sprained ankle sidelined him for four games.
Heading into Week 9, Brown had only played in three games, catching nine passes for 101 yards and no touchdowns.
Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf addressed concerns about Brown’s knee earlier this year.
“It’s a factor, but we looked at it,” Wolf said in June. “He has a knee that has some wear and tear that we were aware of. Our training staff and medical staff approved of that.”
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