The New England Patriots’ blockbuster offseason acquisition hit an early snag this week. Wide receiver A.J. Brown has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the team’s season-opening loss, a move confirmed by sources to ESPN’s Adam Schefter that will sideline him for a minimum of four games.
How It Happened
Brown suffered the injury during Wednesday night’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, catching three passes for 26 yards while playing 30 of the team’s first 34 offensive snaps before going down on an incomplete pass. The Seahawks won the contest 13-10. The play came early in the third quarter, and afterward Brown was replaced primarily by veteran Mack Hollins.
Brown underwent additional testing the following day, which confirmed the high-ankle sprain diagnosis and put his recovery timeline at roughly four to six weeks. X-rays did not reveal a fracture.
What It Means for New England
Brown will miss the Patriots’ home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 20, then road games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, before New England returns home for back-to-back games against the Raiders and Jets. The earliest he could return is Week 6, when the Patriots host the Jets.
The Patriots used the open roster spot to sign free-agent defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
Losing Brown is a significant blow given the price New England paid to get him. In the biggest move of their offseason, the Patriots sent a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Brown, who had shown strong chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye throughout training camp.
Who Steps Up
With Brown sidelined, the receiving load shifts to a group that struggled in Week 1. Romeo Doubs, who signed a four-year, $68 million deal in free agency, had a miserable debut with no catches and a costly fourth-quarter drop, but he’s now atop New England’s receiving corps. Behind him, the Patriots will lean on Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, second-year receiver Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism, with Hollins already seeing a snap increase after running 22 routes in the second half against Seattle.
Quarterback Drake Maye, last year’s MVP runner-up, sounded optimistic despite the setback. “He’s going to fight hard to get back and whatever it is, I know he’s going to want to get back out there quick,” Maye said after the game, adding that he expects Brown to help the team for much of the season.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels struck a similar tone on the injury’s timing. “Any injury that you get at this time of the season, you kind of approach it with an all-hands-on-deck approach,” McDaniels said Thursday on WEEI, noting the roster has “a lot of different skill guys” but no single player who can truly replace what Brown brings.
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