The hits just keep on coming for the New England Patriots on the injury front.
A day after getting their wide receiver room back to full strength with the return of A.J. Brown, the Patriots will be without another key starter at the position for at least the next four games after Romeo Doubs was placed on injured reserve on Monday.
Doubs injured his shoulder after landing hard on the turf after diving to secure a 42-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye during the first quarter of Sunday’s win over the New York Jets. Doubs never returned after that play.
New England’s $68 million free agent addition won’t be eligible to return until after the Patriots’ Week 11 bye week.
It’s a considerable blow to the Patriots’ offense, as Doubs had been heating up along with Maye as Brown worked his way back from his ankle sprain. Brown’s brutal three-drop game against the Jets on Sunday was most likely rhythm- and rust-related — but it’s going to have to be now.
The Patriots suddenly can't afford a slow A.J. Brown ramp-up
If Brown was limited by his ankle on Sunday, his usage against the Jets didn’t show it.
He ended up playing 52 of the team’s 68 offensive snaps (76%) and was targeted 10 times. Maye notably looked Brown’s way on key third- and fourth-down situations as well as in the end zone.
Brown only secured three catches for 27 yards. He took a clear back seat production-wise to DeMario Douglas and tight end Hunter Henry against the Jets.
The Patriots are going to need the version of Brown they traded a future first-round pick for back on June 1 going forward.
They have a quick turnaround this week, traveling to Chicago to face the Bears on Thursday Night Football. The Bears are 4-2 and rank fifth in the NFL in point differential at plus-31.
The Patriots already have enough answers in-house to survive without Romeo Doubs
The good news is that the Patriots shouldn’t feel dead set on extending themselves for a wide receiver ahead of the trade deadline, which arrives on Nov. 10. The next-man-up mentality has been a theme of the Patriots’ season, but for the wide receiver room especially.
Doubs going down should mean more opportunities for Douglas, Efton Chism, and Kyle Williams. All three have been playing good football over New England’s three-game winning streak.
Mack Hollins is also on injured reserve with a calf injury. He could potentially return as soon as Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers. The Patriots have a number of wideouts on the practice squad, including camp standouts like Cameron Dorner and Kyle Dixon.
The Patriots turned some positive injury luck into a deep playoff run in 2025. Naturally for the NFL, they’re getting the opposite end of that spectrum so far this season. Assuming Doubs’ injury is not season-ending, the team should have enough talent in the building to remain competitive, with a large onus falling on Brown’s shoulders.
Any idea of Brown easing his way back after playing two games in five days is now out the window. It’s time to start performing like one of the most dominant wide receivers in football, starting on Thursday night.
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