NASHVILLE – A.J. Brown is a no-go. And he is not the only one.
Friday, the Tennessee Titans (8-3) ruled out their Pro Bowl wide receiver and five others for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots (7-4), which could factor heavily into postseason seeding.
Brown was unable to practice all week because of a chest injury that knocked him out of last Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans. As a result, he will miss his second game of the season and his fourth in the NFL. A hamstring injury kept him out of a Week 4 game against the New York Jets, a 27-24 overtime defeat.
Also out are inside linebackers Rashaan Evans and David Long, right guard Nate Davis, nose tackle Teair Tart and running back Jeremy McNichols. Evans, Long, Davis and Tart are starters.
Brown leads the Titans with 46 receptions and 615 receiving yards and is tied for the team lead with three touchdown catches. His 57-yard touchdown reception on Oct. 31 at Indianapolis is Tennessee’s longest pass play of the season, and his 155 receiving yards in that game are also a team-high.
The 2019 second-round pick out of Ole Miss and 2020 Pro Bowler has dealt with knee and hamstring issues as well as illness this season. His averages of 13.4 yards per reception and 61.5 yards per game are on pace for the lowest of his career.
The complete Titans-Patriots injury report for Friday:
TENNESSEE
Did not practice: OLB DL Denico Autry (illness), WR A.J. Brown (chest), G Nate Davis (concussion), ILB Rashaan Evans (ankle), ILB David Long (hamstring), RB Jeremy McNichols (concussion) and DL Teair Tart (ankle). Limited participation: Ola Adeniyi (hamstring), ILB Jayon Brown (quad), RB D’Onta Foreman (tricep), CB Jackrabbit Jenkins (chest), OLB Harold Landry (hamstring), CB Greg Mabin (ankle), DB Elijah Molden and. Full participation: DT Naquan Jones (illness), G Rodger Saffold (back) and TE Geoff Swaim (concussion).
Sunday status: Out – WR A.J. Brown, G Nate Davis, ILB Rashaan Evans, ILB David Long, RB Jeremy McNichols and DL Teair Tart. Questionable – OLB Ola Adeniyi, ILB Jayon Brown, CB Greg Mabin DB Elijah Molden and TE Geoff Swaim.
NEW ENGLAND
Did not practice: None. Limited participation: P Jake Bailey (right knee), DL Christian Barmore (knee), LB JaWhaun Bentley (ribs), T Trent Brown (calf), K Nick Folk (left knee), RB Damien Harris (neck), TE Hunter Henry (neck), LB Don’t’a Hightower (ankle), TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) and RB Rhamondre Stevenson (knee).Full participation: none.
Sunday status: Questionable – P Jake Bailey, DL Christian Barmore, LB JaWhaun Bentley, T Trent Brown, K Nick Folk, RB Damien Harris, TE Hunter Henry, LB Don’t’a Hightower, TE Jonnu Smith and RB Rhamondre Stevenson.
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