Mike Vrabel is not blinking. With A.J. Brown’s numbers through three appearances as a New England Patriot sitting among the worst in the NFL, the head coach went on the radio in Boston on Monday and refused to describe his star receiver as a problem.

“No, I don’t have any concern,” Vrabel told WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, as transcribed by Heavy.

Pressed on what he had made of Brown’s performances since returning from a high ankle sprain, Vrabel acknowledged the drops and a contested catch Brown had failed to come down with the previous Thursday, but framed those as plays he had seen Brown finish in the past, or that had drawn defensive pass interference flags in the past. The problem, Vrabel suggested, is rhythm, not the player.

“I don’t think anybody has to press here or anything else. I think we just have to get back into a rhythm offensively with the guys we have.”

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What the Patriots have got for the pick

New England sent Philadelphia a 2028 first-round pick for Brown this off-season, a trade meant to transform Drake Maye’s second NFL season. Brown then suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against Seattle and missed the next four games.

Since returning in Week 6, Brown has caught nine of 20 passes thrown his way for 101 yards and no touchdowns, with three drops already on the ledger, among the most in the league despite his limited playing time. In Thursday’s 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, he had three catches on six targets for 48 yards.

The 29-year-old sits 76th among 81 qualifying wide receivers in Pro Football Focus’s grades for the season.

Samuel says Brown doesn’t fit the system

Not everyone is as patient as the head coach. Former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel, a two-time Super Bowl winner with New England, used his podcast Say What Needs To Be Said to argue the problem is scheme rather than fitness.

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“A.J. Brown, he was a non-factor in this game against the Chicago Bears. I just have to admit it, this isn’t the system for him,” Samuel said on the podcast.

Samuel went further, arguing Maye is being forced to force the ball to the receiver the Patriots paid so much to acquire.

“Most of the time when A.J. Brown is targeted, the ball is being forced to him, and it’s stopping Drake Maye from playing quarterback.”

His remedy was to shift targets toward Demario “Pop” Douglas, who played a bigger role during Brown’s absence.

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New England sits at 4-3. Brown has not caught a single pass for 20 yards or more in any of his three appearances this season.

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