New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain in Wednesday's 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Brown stayed on the ground in the third quarter, clutching his ankle after a Seahawks defender landed on it while in coverage on a pass attempt. He limped off the field under his own power, but he was clearly in pain from the injury. He also never returned to the game.
The three-time All-Pro receiver was reportedly spotted wearing a walking boot in the locker room after the game.
According to Rapoport, Brown is expected to undergo an MRI to see the extent of the injury and ultimately determine how many games he's likely to miss.
#Patriots WR AJ Brown, who left last
night’s opener because of an injury, is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, per me and @MikeGarafolo. X-Rays were negative for a fracture. Brown has an MRI today to determine how much time he’ll miss. pic.twitter.com/CEeCEqWBFK
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2026
It's a crushing blow for the Patriots to potentially lose their No. 1 receiver in the first game of the season.
The timing is rough considering it's one of the toughest stretches on the team's 2026 schedule. They are set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Foxborough next week, before heading to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 3. Then they'll make the trek to Highmark Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills.
It's a potential nightmare scenario for the Patriots.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots get concerning injury update on star WR A.J. Brown
