Latest update on Patriots WR A.J. Brown hints at potential return date - Patriots Wire

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown could return sooner rather than later.

Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in the team's Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He was placed on injured reserve shortly thereafter, guaranteeing that he would miss at least four games in the season.

However, a recent report from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo claimed the Patriots are hopeful that the three-time All-Pro wide receiver will be ready to return as soon as Week 6, when he'd be eligible to come off injured reserve.

Garafolo did note that there was no confirmation that Brown would indeed be back by that timeframe.

"The hope is that he'll be back Week 6. Now, that's a hope without [confirmation], but that's when he's eligible to return. We'll see how that goes," Garafolo said.

The Patriots desperately need Brown on offense.

Romeo Doubs, so far, has been a complete disappointment in New England, and no other receiver, outside of Mack Hollins, has made a consistent impact.

That has led to New England's offense falling off a cliff through three games with quarterback Drake Maye struggling at every turn. The third-year gunslinger has thrown only one touchdown pass and turned the ball over seven times. Brown returning to the mix would go a long way in helping the offense get back on track.

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