Patriots' A.J. Brown to IR, Out at Least 4 Games — SkimNews
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- A.J. Brown is being placed on injured reserve after an MRI confirmed a high ankle sprain from Wednesday's season-opening loss to the Seahawks, sidelining the Patriots wide receiver for at least four games (X-rays showed no fracture)
- Brown will miss the Sept. 20 home opener against Pittsburgh, road games at Jacksonville (Sept. 27) and Buffalo (Oct. 4), and could potentially return for back-to-back home games against the Las Vegas Raiders (Oct. 11) and New York Jets (Oct. 18)
- Mack Hollins absorbed the majority of Brown's snaps after the injury, while free-agent pickup Romeo Doubs — on a four-year, $68 million contract — had a costly drop and finished without a catch in his own Patriots debut
- The Patriots traded a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick to acquire Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles on June 1, making the timing of his multi-game absence especially costly for New England's draft capital
- Josh McDaniels pledged an "all-hands-on-deck approach," noting that DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III remain available — though the Patriots had already traded Kayshon Boutte to Houston in part because receiver was viewed as a deep position in camp
- The injury occurred on a third-down incompletion when Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett's right knee came down on Brown's right ankle with his body weight; Brown later drew a defensive pass interference penalty that set up New England's lone touchdown
Why it matters: Brown was already Drake Maye's go-to target in his debut after New England gave up a 2028 first-rounder to get him, so losing him for at least four games forces Josh McDaniels to lean on a depth chart that includes an expensive free-agent bust debut (Doubs), a journeyman (Hollins), and unproven second-year players — a scenario that could reshape Maye's development curve and New England's early-season offensive identity.
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