The New England Patriots could be without A.J. Brown for longer than anticipated after an MRI on Thursday—per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport—confirmed the receiver suffered a high ankle sprain. Rapoport says Brown will miss at least four weeks; high ankle sprains generally take four to six weeks to heal.
Brown injured his lower right leg in the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, clutching it after an incompletion. Trainers attended to him on the field and he was helped off; he reportedly left the locker room in a walking boot. Before exiting the game he had three catches for 26 yards.
It was a rough night for New England overall: Drake Maye threw a costly interception late in the game, Romeo Doubs dropped a few targets (including a particularly bad one in the second half), and the Seahawks overcame a deficit by scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter to win 13-10.
Because of the projected recovery time, the Patriots may place Brown on injured reserve, which would force him to miss at least four games. New England’s next matchup isn’t until Sept. 20 because of the unusual Wednesday opener; a four-week absence would likely put Brown’s return around Week 6 against the New York Jets.
Seattle also saw an injury: quarterback Sam Darnold exited early with a hip issue, but scans reportedly showed no fracture—team sources describe it as an uncommon muscle strain. Brown was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in a major June trade aimed at revitalizing his production; instead, he now appears likely to miss the early part of the season.
Fan Take: This is a big blow for Patriots fans and fantasy managers—losing Brown weakens New England’s top receiving threat and puts more pressure on Drake Maye and the supporting cast. More broadly, it underscores how quickly offseason plans can shift and how critical depth and injury management are to a team’s chances in a tight NFL season.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
