A.J. Brown Out 4 Weeks With High Ankle Sprain — SkimNews
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- A.J. Brown suffered a high ankle sprain confirmed by MRI, expected to sideline him for at least four weeks, per a source who told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Thursday
- Brown went down in the third quarter when Seattle CB Nehemiah Pritchett's right knee landed on his ankle with his full body weight; X-rays did not reveal a fracture
- New England acquired Brown from Philadelphia on June 1 by trading a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick; he had drawn a DPI penalty earlier in the game to help set up the Patriots' first touchdown
- Brown will miss New England's Sept. 20 home opener vs. Pittsburgh, followed by road games at Jacksonville (Sept. 27) and Buffalo (Oct. 4), with back-to-back home games against Las Vegas (Oct. 11) and the New York Jets (Oct. 18) after that
- Romeo Doubs, who signed a four-year, $68 million free-agent deal in the offseason, had a costly drop and finished without a catch in his Patriots debut; veteran Mack Hollins took over Brown's role after he exited
- Coach Mike Vrabel called Brown's right ankle injury "the one we will have to monitor" before MRI results were known, adding: "I know he'll do everything that he can to get back as quickly as possible"
Why it matters: The Patriots surrendered a 2028 first-round pick to land Brown, so a four-week absence directly diminishes the return on that trade capital during a stretch featuring Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Buffalo. With their $68 million free-agent Romeo Doubs struggling in his debut and Hollins now elevated, New England's passing game faces an early-season stress test just as the team adjusts to life without its new top target.
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