​A.J. Brown turned in his best game as a Patriot Thursday night, and it was still well below the level the team expected when it traded for him this offseason.Brown caught three passes for 48 yards but failed to haul in multiple deep targets that could have shifted the tides in what ended up a 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. He has yet to cross the 50-yard mark since arriving in New England, even if the sample size is admittedly small.In two games since returning from injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, Brown has caught only six of the 16 passes he’s been thrown, for only 75 yards and with at least four drops.After struggling badly in his first game back on Sunday against the Jets, with three dropped passes and a nearly-botched onsides kick at game’s end, Brown was better against the Bears — but only incrementally. When the Patriots traded a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder Brown, they were clearly hoping for WR1 production. All told this season, Brown has nine catches for 101 yards in about 10 quarters of work.PBU? Drop?DPI?Here’s Drake Maye’s gorgeous deep shot for A.J. Brown. pic.twitter.com/oLT0WLDDAq— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) October 23, 2026Brown said Thursday that he’s trying to be patient.”I’m a vet, I understand how the game goes,” Brown said after the loss. “It’s just how the game is. I know what type of player I am, and I know that that’s always the case: Every time I line up, I get a lot of attention. Teams try to take me away, and it gives a lot of opportunities to other guys to make plays and soften that up for me. And then whenever I get my shots, I have to make them.”The Patriots still threw the ball effectively against the Bears, but Brown hasn’t elevated this offense yet. With Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins both on injured reserve, the need is there for Brown to step up as Drake Maye’s top target.Can Brown turn this season around? The Patriots are counting on it, but the return on investment has been poor to this point.Brown’s regression started last seasonBrown’s 2025 struggles with the Eagles were often chalked up to a diminished relationship with QB Jalen Hurts, a struggling passing offense and poor usage. The Patriots clearly believed that Brown still possessed game-changing talent and perhaps looked at the production in his final eight regular-season games last season (49-608-4 receiving), even while considering his three-catch playoff stinker, as evidence that he could still cook.But the big picture isn’t that pretty. Brown was down on the whole in 2025, and he’s playing at an even more diminished level so far in three games in New England.A.J. Brown2025 seasonYards per route run — 2.09 (lowest of career)YAC per reception — 3.4 (lowest of career)Yards per target — 8.29 (2nd lowest of career)2026 seasonYards per route run — 1.22 (lowest of career)YAC per reception — 2.6 (lowest of career)Yards per…— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrPHL) October 23, 2026The Patriots have to hope