New England Patriots star wide receiver A.J. Brown dislocated his thumb on Monday at training camp, but things were looking better on Tuesday, head coach Mike Vrabel said.
“I think he’s going to be okay. I think he’s going to be okay,” Vrabel told reporters.
That includes offensive linemen helping Brown with his hand on the field. Brown became the team’s go-to wide receiver this offseason after a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, so the Patriots need to do all they can do to keep Brown on the field.
“No, I told him the linemen do that every other snap, and it’s not a national story when a lineman pops his finger back in place,” Vrabel explained regarding the linemen helping Brown. “But we had a little bit of fun with that. I think that — again, I appreciate what A.J. and Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez] have done is just come in and compete and try to improve.”
Christian Gonzalez Providing ‘Good Battle’ For A.J. Brown
Gonzalez, the team’s top defensive back, has been challenging Brown in practice. The fourth-year star has become one of the better cornerbacks in the league amid a Pro Bowl appearance and second-team All-Pro honors.
It goes both ways since Brown is one of the better wideouts in the NFL. The three-time Pro Bowler and three-time second-team All-Pro was a key part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2024, and the Patriots are looking for more of the same from him.
“It’s been a good battle, and that’s pro football,” Vrabel said. “I love watching it, and I think that there’s a great amount of respect that each of those players have for each other and understand that the work that they’re putting in now is going to pay dividends in the season.”
“I think that’s all you can ask from your frontline players is that they come out and they’re focused on getting better each day, and they’re intentional with their work,” Vrabel added. “When they’re out there, it sends a clear and easy message to the rest of the team about how we’re supposed to challenge and compete. I think it’s been a good competition.”
It’s the kind of thing Vrabel would have known about Brown before the trade. Vrabel coached Brown between 2019 and 2021 with the Tennessee Titans.
Mike Vrabel: ‘It Makes It Easy’
Vrabel expressed how a competition such as the one between Gonzalez and Brown makes a difference for the whole team.
“Well, I can only speak on my experience when I would play,” Vrabel said. “But as a coach, I would say that it makes it easy. It sends a clear message.”
“I think that that exhibits a level of leadership that we’re going to be out here and we’re going to compete, challenge, but also take care of each other,” Vrabel added. “I think that’s the biggest thing, and that’s why practice is — we want to be as fast as possible, we want to be as physical as possible, but in the end, we’re all working for the same goal. We need everybody, and they’re important, so we have to be able to take care of each other.”
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