A.J. Brown’s rocky debut stretch with the New England Patriots has taken another hit.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday that Brown is headed to injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain. That means the former Eagles star must sit out at least the next four games after getting hurt in the Patriots’ Week 1 opener.
Brown was injured in the third quarter of Wednesday’s Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks. He came up holding his right ankle, hobbled to the locker room and was later spotted in a walking boot.
Some Patriots fans had been hoping the injury wouldn’t be severe enough to send him to IR and might only cost him a game or two. That hope disappeared Friday.
Before leaving the game, Brown had three catches for 26 yards on four targets. He also drew a defensive pass interference call on a flea flicker that Drake Maye underthrew.
Without Brown, Maye struggled badly down the stretch. He threw interceptions on three straight drives to finish the game, and the Seahawks escaped with a 13-10 win.
The Patriots now have to get through at least matchups with the Steelers, Jaguars, Bills and Raiders without their new wideout.
Brown was traded from the Eagles to the Patriots on June 1. Philadelphia got a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in return for the three-time All-Pro.
New England brought Brown in expecting him to be a difference-maker and a piece that could help push the team toward another Super Bowl title. Instead, the Patriots will have to wait at least a month before he gets a chance to make that kind of impact.
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