Patriots Place WR A.J. Brown on Injured Reserve Following High Ankle Sprain

Wide receiver A.J. Brown will miss a minimum of four games for the New England Patriots after an MRI confirmed a high ankle sprain.

The New England Patriots are placing wide receiver A.J. Brown on injured reserve, according to sources told by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. An MRI confirmed Brown sustained a high ankle sprain during Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, an injury expected to sideline him for at least four weeks. X-rays taken after the game did not reveal any fractures.

Brown exited the contest early in the third quarter after Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett appeared to land on his ankle following a third-down incompletion. Before the injury, Brown drew a defensive pass interference penalty on a deep ball from quarterback Drake Maye, setting up a 2-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Eli Raridon. The Patriots acquired Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles on June 1 in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection.

New England will be without their primary target for the Sept. 20 home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by road matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 27 and the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 4. Veteran Mack Hollins assumed the majority of Brown's snaps on Wednesday. The team also expects increased production from Romeo Doubs, who signed a four-year, $68 million contract this offseason but finished his debut without a catch.

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels stated Thursday that the team will utilize an "all-hands-on-deck approach" to fill the void. The current depth chart includes slot receiver DeMario Douglas and second-year players Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III. The team previously traded former starter Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans during training camp.