Patriots Shouldn't Worry About A.J. Brown's Dislocated Thumb (And Here's Why)

FOXBORO --- Yes, A.J. Brown dislocated his thumb in Monday's training camp practice.

It's newsworthy for sure. But is it something for the New England Patriots to truly lose sleep over at this point in time?

Not at all.

Head coach Mike Vrabel feels the same way, laughing off the injury.

"I think he's going to be OK," Vrabel said ahead of Tuesday's practice. "I tell him the linemen every other snap and, you now, it's not a national story when a lineman pops his finger back into place. But we had a little bit of fun with that.

"I appreciate what A.J. and Gonzo (Christian Gonzalez) have done, just come in and compete and try to improve. It's been a good battle and that's pro football, and I love watching it."

Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) walks to the practice field at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here's What Happened:

Brown, who was lined up against Gonzalez in 1-on-1 reps in the WIN Innovations Field House (training camp had been moved inside because of the weather), went to run a route in the end zone. He stopped as the ball was thrown, and Gonzalez picked it off.

The wide receiver, who the Patriots traded a future first and fifth round pick to acquire in June, reached down for his left hand. He then met with members of the medical staff at the middle of the field. It all happened so fast, that if you didn't see it play out in real time, you would have missed it.

"It was tough. I tried to get back into that flow-state zone really quickly because obviously you're going through some pain," Brown told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Brian Baldinger after the session. "The game is what it is, you're going to get bumps and bruises, and you have to keep going. I know it's practice, but I'm not coming out of practice. Thumb out of place? You keep going."

"I think that there's a great amount of respect each of those players have for each other," Vrabel said on the battles between Brown and Gonzalez. "I think that's all you can ask from your frontline players."

This wasn't the first time Brown has injured that thumb. He said that while playing in college for Ole Miss.

"Yeah. I dislocated this same thumb (against Arkansas),” Brown said. "I played the rest of the season. ... I’m going to do some treatment on it - stim and ice."

Oct 13, 2018; Little Rock, AR, USA; Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) runs after a catch against Arkansas Razorbacks Dre Greenlaw (23) late in the fourth quarter at War Memorial Stadium. Mississippi won 37-33. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

But Shouldn't Patriots Fans Be Concerned?

So why isn't this something to worry about? After all, the Patriots are going to depend on Brown's health to help lift this passing attack.

Well -- Brown played the rest of the practice without any strings attached. He didn't miss a rep, he didn't look out of place, and he connected with Drake Maye on four grabs in team drills (two of those went for touchdowns). The headlines that surrounded Brown's health when he arrived in New England were all centered about his knee and if it would be able to hold up for another season.

Those are the stories that the Patriots fans should worry about, though Vrabel already put those discussions to rest earlier in the summer.

"I think a lot of things get fabricated and people tell stories," Vrabel said at the time. "We're really confident where he is physically."

Brown didn't seem hampered by a dislocated thumb during the Patriots' eighth practice of the summer. While it is something to always monitor, it's nothing of great importance just yet.

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