New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown sustained a dislocated thumb during a training camp practice on Monday but remained unfazed by the injury, continuing to participate in drills. The incident occurred during a one-on-one red zone drill against Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez when quarterback Drake Maye attempted a pass to Brown in the left-hand corner of the end zone.
Brown was evaluated by team doctor Scott Martin and athletic trainer Jim Whalen shortly after the play. Despite the injury, he did not miss any further plays in practice. He later spoke about the experience to NFL Network, emphasizing his mindset of pushing through discomfort.
"It was tough. I tried to get back into that flow-state zone really quickly because obviously you’re going through some pain," Brown said during an interview with Mike Garafolo and Brian Baldinger. "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."
Brown stated that he would receive "stim and ice" treatments for the dislocation. This marks his first year with the Patriots after spending four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is in the process of building chemistry with new quarterback Drake Maye.
"Obviously because I’m going against Gonzo and [Maye] is getting to know me more and more. But as these practices have been going, me and him have been picking up very good momentum," Brown said regarding his connection with Maye. Brown is coming off a 2025 season where he extended his streak to four consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.