AJ Brown news
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The gist
Patriots placed A.J. Brown on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.
His absence pressures a 1-2 Patriots offense scoring 12 points per game.
Background
Brown, a star offseason acquisition and Drake Maye's top receiver, hurt his right ankle in the Patriots' Week 1 opener at Seattle when his foot got trapped between the turf and a Seahawks defender. An MRI confirmed a high ankle sprain, and the team placed him on injured reserve, which mandates a minimum of four missed games. The timing is costly: New England is 1-2 and scoring just 12 points per game, 31st in the NFL, making his return more urgent.
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026Brown injured his right ankle early in the second half of the Patriots' opener at Seattle when his foot got trapped between the turf and a Seahawks defender; an MRI confirmed a high ankle sprain. He finished with 26 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 3 receptions and 2.6 fantasy points.
- Sep 12, 2026The Patriots placed Brown on injured reserve, mandating a minimum of four missed games.
- Sep 24, 2026ESPN's Adam Schefter said Brown is showing 'encouraging' signs and could return on the quicker side of the 6-8 week timeline, while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported he is expected to miss at least six weeks.
- Sep 28, 2026Brown was spotted in the Patriots locker room walking without a limp and wearing a small wrap on his injured right ankle, wearing cleats, per reporters Taylor Kyles and Karen Guregian; he remains ineligible to return until Week 6. The Patriots fell 35-6 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, their worst loss since 2024, dropping to 1-2.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- ESPN's Adam Schefter said Brown is 'moving pretty well' and looks like a guy who can come back on the quicker side of 6 weeks than 8 weeks, though he called his own projection a guess contingent on recovery.
- Caution
- NFL Network's Ian Rapoport called the injury 'a little more serious' and reported Brown is expected to miss at least six weeks.
Still unverified
Schefter's projection that Brown could return on the quicker side of six weeks rather than eight is described as a guess based on 'some of the things' and contingent on how he recovers. Taylor Kyles noted Brown wearing cleats 'could hint' he was able to do some on-field exercises.