When the Patriots pulled off a massive trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown earlier this summer, fans couldn't contain their excitement about finally seeing the superstar in New England. They had been dreaming about what that might look like since Bill Belichick unfathomably passed on him in the 2019 draft for N'Keal Harry, so now was the chance to finally see Brown in a Patriots uniform.
The connection between him and Drake Maye was apparent from the start. They consistently had the play of the day at training camp, fueling excitement about what the new duo could accomplish during the 2026 season.
They faced a tough first outing in Week 1, a Super Bowl LX rematch against the Seahawks in Seattle, and it took a bit for that connection to happen on Wednesday night. Then it got cut short when Brown went down with what we now know is a high ankle sprain, landing him on injured reserve ahead of their next matchup with the Steelers.
That means he will miss at least four games (vs. the Steelers, @ the Jaguars, @ the Bills, vs. the Raiders) and can return as soon as Week 6 against the Jets.
That is what we all thought anyway, until NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed on Sunday morning that he will likely be out for six weeks, extending what most thought would be just four games by two more.
A.J. Brown's absence was just made even longer for the Patriots
It just went from bad to worse for the Patriots if this is accurate.
From @NFLGameDay Morning: Injury updates from this week, as #Seaahawks QB Sam Darnold actually has a glute injury, #Patriots WR AJ Brown is out about six weeks, and #49ers WR De'Zhaun Stribling (deltoid ligament) is out at least a month. pic.twitter.com/0VlHlIzgw7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 13, 2026
That means we can add the Jets and the game in Chicago against the Bears to the list of games that Brown is likely to miss. It's a brutal blow for a team that desperately needed a WR1 and finally acquired him for a hefty price.
It's even worse after they decided to trade Kayshon Boutte to the Texans last month, who would have been an easy player to step up in Brown's absence for the next six weeks. That was a major concern among fans about moving the rising star ahead of the season, even if the wide receiver room appeared to be crowded.
Now, we'll need to see other players step up in his place, with the assumption being that it will be Mack Hollins, who came alive in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks. His size and his affinity for catching deep passes will be invaluable for Drake Maye, both of which are some of Brown's best traits, too.
It will be a tough test for a player who has never been that high on the depth chart, and he'll certainly need help from other receivers, particularly Romeo Doubs and even Kyle Williams, on top of the tight ends getting more involved to ensure that the loss of Brown isn't the downfall of their season.
If they can achive that, then things won't feel as doomed without Brown as they do right now, especially knowing he's going to be out even longer.
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