The Patriots are preparing to head to South Beach for a matchup with the Dolphins in Miami, and star WR A.J. Brown's status is in doubt for Sunday's game.
On Friday, New England listed WR A.J. Brown (ankle/knee), RB TreVeyon Henderson (illness), CB Carlton Davis III (neck), and LB Christian Elliss (chest) as questionable for Week 8. On the one hand, the Patriots haven't ruled out any players as their active roster gets healthier. However, several key contributors remain on injured reserve (WR Mack Hollins, WR Romeo Doubs, LG Aijah Vera-Tucker, RG Mike Onwenu), while Brown's participation decreasing as the practice week wore on was a noteworthy development.
While still managing his recovery from a high-ankle sprain, Brown's knee reportedly "flared up" in practice this week, which landed him on Wednesday's injury report as limited. Brown then didn't participate in Thursday or Friday's session, but the 29-year-old still has a chance to play on Sunday. The Pats top wideout has caught just 6-of-16 targets for 75 receiving yards in two games since returning from injury. On Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel had an update on Brown's status.
"Just wasn't able to finish practice on Wednesday, so we continue to treat him and we'll see where he is (Saturday)," Vrabel said.
Along with having some struggles as he works his way back, Brown's availability for Sunday is up in the air at a time when the Patriots are thin at wide receiver. As mentioned, Hollins (calf) and Doubs (shoulder) are already on injured reserve. New England only has four wide receivers on its active roster: DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism III, and Brown. Douglas, Williams, and Chism will have to play larger roles if Brown can't play this week, while the Patriots could lean even heavier on tight ends Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon.
It's also unlikely the Patriots will go into Sunday's game with only three active wideouts, so they may need to turn to their practice-squad depth. The Pats have four practice-squad wide receivers: Cameron Dorner, Kyle Dixon, Ryan Miller, and Chandler Brayboy. Miller, who joined the practice squad on Oct. 19, has the most NFL experience, while Dorner and Dixon were with the team in training camp. From this perspective, Dorner showed the most potential as an outside receiver who can win on breaking routes. If one of those practice-squad receivers is elevated, it would signal that Brown might not play in Miami.
The next development on the injury report for the Patriots skill positions is that second-year RB TreVeyon Henderson popped up with a mid-week illness. Like Brown, Henderson missed the final two practices this week but still has a chance to play Sunday. Although the run blocking has been inconsistent, Henderson hasn't made the year-two leap some had hoped. On his 52 carries, the second-year pro is averaging just 3.9 yards per rush and has only one 15-plus-yard run after having 11 explosive runs in his rookie season.
With Henderson's status in doubt, the Patriots have two healthy running backs on the active roster: lead back Rhamondre Stevenson and RB Corey Kiner. New England could elevate practice-squad RB Lan Larison as insurance/depth for Henderson. That said, it seems like the Pats would take Henderson's availability right up to pre-game inactives, since he's battling an illness this week, not an injury.
As for the offensive line, the Patriots are managing injuries there, too. Starting RT Morgan Moses continues to play through a foot injury while C/G Ben Brown is pushing to get back into the lineup. Brown started three games at right guard before exiting the Patriots Week 6 win over the Jets with a knee injury. Brown was a full participant in practice this week, suggesting he could return to the starting lineup.
That said, the Pats got solid spot starts from Walter Rouse (LG) and Matt Pryor (RG) vs. the Bears in Week 7. Pryor and Rouse allowed two pressures each, with Rouse flashing potential as a 1-on-1 pass blocker, identifying pressure schemes, and showing good upper-body power in the run game. Pryor, on the other hand, is a sturdy veteran with a firm base and anchor. On Friday, Vrabel wouldn't commit to a starting offensive line just yet.
Moving over to the defense, the positive injury news is that the Patriots secondary is expected to be whole for the first time since Week 3. Although he's officially questionable, CB Carlton Davis III (neck) is trending toward playing on Sunday after participating in full for all three practices this week. Davis has missed three straight games and four of the last six contests due to his neck injury, while top CB Christian Gonzalez has also missed time with a shoulder injury.
According to NextGen Stats, the Patriots top cornerback trio of Davis, Gonzalez, and NCB Marcus Jones have only shared the field for 54-of-412 defensive snaps this season, or 12.9%. In 2025, the Pats CB trio shared the field for 501 total snaps (51.5%). Earlier this week, Gonzalez was eager to get Davis back in the Patriots secondary.
"Yeah, I mean, it's everything," Gonzalez said of Davis's return. "CD is a great vet. Somebody that I lean on a lot, able to talk to, pick his mind about certain things. He's seen a lot of balls, so just having him back out there is amazing. Excited to get all of us back."
Although the wide receiver situation is in flux, the Patriots roster health is trending in the right direction, with OL Ben Brown and CB Carlton Davis III expected to return this week. The next steps for New England are practice squad elevations and downgrades en route to Miami on Saturday. As mentioned, the Pats could elevate a practice-squad receiver due to Brown's uncertain status, with Dixon or Dorner as frontrunners, or practice-squad RB Lan Larison to fill in for Henderson – we'll keep you updated.
The Patriots visit the Dolphins with kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
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