Patriots Injury Report: A.J. Brown and Henderson Out for Miami
New England loses its two primary offensive weapons to knee and illness issues before Sunday's AFC East clash.
By Jonathan Reed ·
The New England Patriots will face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday without A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson. Both players were downgraded from questionable to out on Saturday, leaving New England without its two most dynamic offensive threats for the AFC East matchup.
Brown's absence stems from a knee issue that emerged mid-week. The receiver initially suffered a high-ankle sprain in the season opener, which placed him on injured reserve for four games. He returned to the lineup for the last two contests but could not finish practice on Wednesday due to the knee flare-up. Head coach Mike Vrabel noted that the team evaluates players after long weeks of practice, stating Brown simply was not able to complete the session.
The injury complicates a recent trade. The Patriots sent a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for Brown while aware of a pre-existing degenerative knee condition. Vrabel dismissed concerns about a long-term issue, saying he is focused on getting the team ready to win in Miami rather than worrying about potential future problems.
Henderson is out with an illness. This marks the second game he has missed this season after sitting out the opener with an ankle injury. He previously returned from a high-ankle sprain suffered against the Raiders the following week without missing additional time.
Offensive tackle Marcus Bryant was also designated to return from injured reserve and was a full participant in practice all week, but he remains out for Sunday. To fill the gaps, the Patriots signed running back Lan Larison from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Larison will serve as the third running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner.
The team also elevated wide receiver Ryan Miller from the practice squad. With Brown out, the receiving corps for Sunday will consist of Miller, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism.
The roster moves were finalized on Saturday ahead of the game in Miami.
