The New England Patriots will not have star wide receiver A.J. Brown on the field for Sunday's Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brown was placed on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain in the third quarter of last week's season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. That means the three-time All-Pro wide receiver will miss at least the next four games of the season.
However, given the severity of the injury, there's a chance that he misses more games than that.
"He has been placed on IR. He has a high ankle sprain. My understanding is the expectation is that he misses six weeks. Generally, it's four to six, this is a little more serious. No surgery planned," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on Sunday.
With Brown sidelined,
the Patriots will need multiple players to step up and help fill the void. Romeo Doubs is the first name that comes to mind considering he signed a four-year, $68 million deal with the Patriots in the offseason. He was brought in with the possibility of serving as the No. 1 receiver on the roster, especially if the team failed to land Brown in a trade.
This is his opportunity to make up for the zero catches he had in the opener and build some real in-game chemistry with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
The Patriots will also turn to veteran Mack Hollins and speedy wideout Kyle Williams to help fill the void ahead of a tough Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Is Patriots WR A.J. Brown playing today?
