Titans reveal AJ Brown's availability vs. San Francisco 49ers

AJ Brown is back in action for the Tennessee Titans, according to multiple NFL Insiders.

“The #Titans are activating WR AJ Brown from Injured Reserve to play today vs. the #49ers, per @CameronWolfe and me,” Ian Rappaport tweeted on Thursday. “Brown went on IR with a chest injury, but had no setbacks in practice this week.”

It’s been a tough season for Brown, as he’s been out with an injury over recent weeks. As one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, it’s fair to say Tennessee has expected more from the former Ole Miss star in 2021.

On the season, AJ Brown has 46 receptions — accumulating just 615 yards and three touchdowns. Moreover, the Titans star has gone over 100 yards just twice this season, doing so in consecutive weeks in October against the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts.

Many thought Brown turned a corner after those performances, but November brought injuries and disappointment. Now, the Titans are hoping Brown can return to form for their run to the AFC playoffs.

The return of Brown can jumpstart a Titans offense that hasn’t scored over 20 points since his injury. With a short-week on the horizon as Tennessee welcomes the San Francisco 49ers to town on Thursday night, Brown could be a revelation for their offense.

More on AJ Brown, Titans offense

Furthermore, the return of Brown coincides with the loss of the other Titans star wide receiver, Julio Jones. The big offseason acquisition for Tennessee injured his hamstring against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and was unable to return to the field.

Luckily, his injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared. On Tuesday, Titans coach Mike Vrabel gave an update on Jones’ status for Thursday’s game.

“We’ll see how he does in practice and see what he’s able to do,” Vrabel said. “We’ll probably take it down to game time.”

On the season, Jones has just 25 catches for 369 yards in eight games. As you can tell, the early return on investment hasn’t been great for the Titans.

Still, Tennessee sits at 9-5 on the season with a great shot at the playoffs. They currently have a one game lead over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South — but they also own the tiebreaker due to sweeping their season series earlier this year.

With the playoffs approaching, the Titans are still looking to get AJ Brown and Julio Jones up to speed. With the possibility of a return for running back Derrick Henry as well, Tennessee could be a sneaky contender if they get their weapons going.

On3’s Stephen Samra contributed to this report