Brown (back) returned to practice Thursday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Brown was absent for Wednesday's session, but his return to he field a day later bodes well for his Week 9 status, though the tight end may need to practice fully by Friday to avoid heading into Sunday's game against the Commanders minus an injury designation. The 29-year-old played ahead of Mike Gesicki last week against the Dolphins and caught both of his targets for 33 scoreless yards. On the year, Brown has been a big-play machine with seven grabs for 170 yards (24.3 yards per catch) and one touchdown on seven targets.