Patriots lose Brown and Henderson for Sunday Dolphins game

The New England Patriots will play Sunday without two primary offensive weapons against the Miami Dolphins.

Running back TreVeyon Henderson and offensive tackle Marcus Bryant are confirmed out for the game. Wide receiver A.J. Brown also missed Friday practice and will not play. All three players were listed as questionable earlier in the week. New England signed running back Lan Larison and wide receiver Ryan Miller from the practice squad on Saturday to fill the roster gaps.

Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain in the season opener and spent four games on injured reserve. He played the past two contests before a knee injury appeared on the practice report mid-week. That knee issue is the reason he will sit out Sunday. The Patriots knew Brown had a degenerative knee condition before trading for him. The team sent a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for Brown despite that known condition. The knee flared up while Brown was still recovering from his Week 1 ankle injury.

Henderson will miss his second game of the season. He sat out the season opener with an ankle injury. He also suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Raiders but returned the following week. Bryant was placed on injured reserve earlier in the season but was designated to return. He participated fully in practice all week before being downgraded to out.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said Brown was evaluated after Wednesday practice because he could not finish the session. Vrabel stated that the ankle and knee are separate issues. He said he is focused on getting the team ready to win in Miami and is not concerned with long-term worries. The Patriots will field a shorthanded wide receiver group against Miami. The lineup includes Ryan Miller, DeMario Pop Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism. Larison will serve as the third running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner.