FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots’ offense faces a significant hurdle before their home opener, as star wide receiver A.J. Brown is set to be sidelined for at least four weeks. According to a person with knowledge of the team’s plans, Brown is being placed on injured reserve following a high ankle sprain sustained in Wednesday night’s 13-10 season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity, as the organization has not yet officially announced the move. An MRI confirmed the severity of the injury, which occurred early in the third quarter. While attempting to haul in an incomplete pass from rookie quarterback Drake Maye, Brown tumbled to the turf, where his ankle was pinned against the ground by the knee of Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett.
The loss of the 29-year-old playmaker is a heavy blow for a Patriots team that acquired the three-time Pro Bowler in a blockbuster trade this past June. Brown was brought in to serve as the centerpiece of the passing attack following the departure of Stefon Diggs. Before his exit on Wednesday, Brown had recorded three catches for 26 yards.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels addressed the roster shakeup during an interview on WEEI radio Friday, emphasizing a collective effort to fill the void.
“Any injury that you get at this point and time of the season, you kind of approach it with an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ kind of approach,” McDaniels said. “There isn’t one person on our roster that can replace anyone like A.J. in the middle of a game or for a stretch of the season. So, we’ll band together and we’ll figure out what we can do well and then try to get the guys in place to play to their strengths.”
McDaniels will now be tasked with finding increased production from a group that includes Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams. Doubs, a key free-agent signing, struggled to make an impact in the opener, finishing without a catch on three targets, including a critical dropped pass on a fourth-quarter drive that would have moved the chains.
Despite the setback, the locker room is maintaining a defiant tone. Right tackle Morgan Moses insisted that the team’s offensive identity remains unchanged.
“We don’t blink at all. It’s always been the next-man-up mentality,” Moses said following the loss in Seattle. “We know in that room we have some dogs. It’s not just one guy.”
Brown, who previously enjoyed a streak of high durability during his tenure in Philadelphia, will now focus on his rehabilitation. With the Patriots’ home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers scheduled for September 20, the team has just over a week to adjust its schemes and integrate the rest of the receiving corps before returning to the field.
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