A.J. Brown's highly anticipated debut with the New England Patriots ended abruptly Wednesday night when the wide receiver suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter of the team's 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Kickoff Game.
Brown is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Thursday morning. The receiver will undergo an MRI, but X-rays were negative for an ankle fracture.
The injury occurred when quarterback Drake Maye threw low to Brown on a third-down attempt. Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett defended the pass and deflected the ball, with his knee coming down on Brown's right ankle during the play. Brown immediately grabbed his ankle after the contact.
"He was attended to on the field before limping off to the blue tent," according to NFL Network's report. "He was then accompanied by trainers to the locker room, where he underwent X-rays."
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had no update on Brown's condition following the defeat.
Before his exit, Brown had caught three passes on four targets for 26 yards — all team highs at the time of his departure. His most significant contribution came when he drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty that positioned the Patriots on Seattle's 2-yard line, setting up the game's opening score.
The injury marks an unfortunate start to Brown's tenure in New England after the Patriots acquired him in an offseason trade from the Philadelphia Eagles. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver was expected to be a key component of the Patriots' passing attack under new offensive coordinator.
Brown, 29, has played in at least 13 games in each of his seven NFL seasons, making this early-season injury particularly concerning for a Patriots offense that struggled to generate consistent production in their season-opening loss.
The Patriots will likely provide more details on Brown's condition and potential timeline for return after the MRI results are available. High ankle sprains typically require several weeks of recovery time, though the severity can vary significantly depending on the extent of ligament damage.
With Brown sidelined, the Patriots will need to rely more heavily on their remaining receivers as they prepare for their next game. The team's passing attack managed just enough to keep pace with Seattle but will face questions about depth and production moving forward without their marquee offseason addition.
