New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain during Wednesday night’s 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
Brown underwent X-rays after leaving the game, but they showed no fracture. The three-time Pro Bowl wideout is scheduled to undergo an MRI Thursday to determine the severity of the injury and how much time he could miss.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said the team would wait for the results of additional tests before determining Brown’s treatment plan.
“I don’t know if he’ll be available going forward here for the next week, but we’ll see,” Vrabel said. “I know he’ll do everything that he can to get back as quickly as possible and once we get the reports then we’ll figure out what the treatment plan is.”
Brown Injured in Third Quarter
Brown suffered the injury early in the third quarter of his Patriots debut.
On a third-down play, quarterback Drake Maye threw in Brown’s direction while Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett defended the pass. Pritchett deflected the ball, but his right knee appeared to land on Brown’s right ankle as the receiver went to the ground.
Brown immediately grabbed his lower right leg before slowly making his way to the sideline. He entered the medical tent for an extended evaluation and later walked to the locker room with members of New England’s medical staff.
The Patriots initially listed him as questionable to return, but Brown did not re-enter the game.
Brown finished the night with three receptions for 26 yards on four targets. He also made an important contribution on New England’s opening scoring drive by drawing a 34-yard defensive pass interference penalty on an underthrown deep pass from Maye.
The penalty moved the Patriots to the Seahawks’ 2-yard line, allowing New England to score its first touchdown.
Patriots Await MRI Results
Brown’s injury leaves his status uncertain ahead of New England’s Week 2 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots have an extended break following their season opener and will host Pittsburgh on Sept. 20. The additional time could give Brown an opportunity to recover, depending on the severity of the injury and his progress over the next several days.
Brown joined New England this offseason after the Patriots acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The 29-year-old receiver spent the previous four seasons with Philadelphia after beginning his career with the Tennessee Titans. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Brown has recorded 527 receptions for 8,055 yards and 56 touchdowns across 106 career games. The Patriots will now wait for Thursday’s MRI to determine whether their newest offensive weapon can return in time for Week 2.
