National Football League

Patriots Reportedly Placing A.J. Brown On Injured Reserve With Ankle Injury

11 Sep 2026, 17:22 · FOX Sports

The New England Patriots will be without their No. 1 wide receiver for the foreseeable future.

New England is placing star wide receiver A.J. Brown on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, ESPN reported on Friday afternoon. Brown, who will now miss at least four weeks, suffered the ankle injury in the third quarter of the Patriots' Wednesday night loss on the road to the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks in what was a rematch of Super Bowl LX.

Brown will miss home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders and road tilts against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. Prior to the injury, Brown had reeled in three receptions for 26 yards.

With Brown sidelined, New England's wide receiver room includes fellow offseason pickup Romeo Doubs (the Patriots signed the former Green Bay Packers wide receiver to a four-year, $68 million deal), Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and second-year receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.

The Patriots acquired Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, from the Philadelphia Eagles in June for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. Last season (2025), Brown totaled 78 receptions for 1,003 yards (12.9 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns across 15 regular-season games.

Over his four years with the Eagles (2022-25), highlighted by helping them win Super Bowl LIX, Brown averaged 84.8 receptions for 1,258.5 yards and eight touchdowns per year. The 29-year-old Brown begins a three-year, $96 million extension in 2027.

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