The Patriots begin their 2026 season with a tough battle against the reigning Super Bowl champions, who just beat them in the big game earlier this year, the Seahawks, on the road in Seattle.
All eyes were inevitably going to be on New England's offense, since it would be A.J. Brown's debut, and through the first half, there wasn't much to see. Although the connection seemed to pick up near the end of the second quarter, it wasn't as explosive a debut as many were anticipating.
Making it even worse was the Patriots' first offensive series after halftime, with Brown going for a big catch and winding up on the ground, grabbing his leg. He stayed down on the field for a few minutes before leaving on his own power with a noticeable limp.
He immediately went into the blue medical tent, forcing Patriots fans to be as patient as possible while they waited for updates on his condition.
Concern about the seriousness only grew the longer the broadcast team didn't provide an update, especially as the offense remained on the field after the Seahawks were hit with a roughing-the-punter penalty that gave the ball back.
Regardless, losing their clear WR1, with Romeo Doubs virtually invisible throughout the game so far, is devastating, and it would be fair to assume we won't see him return before the game is over. That might be the smartest move, given they have 11 days between tonight and their Week 2 matchup against the Steelers.
UPDATE:
@ 10:37 pm EST: The Patriots officially rule out Brown for the remainder of the game.
@ 10:15 pm EST: Brown is reportedly in the x-ray room halfway through the third quarter.
@ 10:10 pm EST: Brown heads to the locker room with a noticeable limp.
@ 10:06 pm EST: It was just announced that Brown is now questionable with an ankle injury. At the time of the report, he was still in the medical tent with no further details.
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