A.J. Brown is headed to injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, leaving New England without its top receiver for at least four games.

The New England Patriots are already dealing with a major offensive setback after just one game.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown is expected to be placed on injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain in New England’s 13-10 season-opening loss to Seattle. The move will sideline Brown for at least four games, stripping the Patriots of their biggest receiving threat at a critical point in the schedule.

Brown’s Patriots debut was cut short after he caught three passes for 26 yards against the Seahawks.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said Thursday that Brown was undergoing additional testing after being unable to finish the game. Vrabel added that the team would determine a treatment plan once the full medical picture was clear.

Now New England has to adjust quickly.

The Patriots host Pittsburgh in Week 2 before road games against Jacksonville and Buffalo. A Week 5 home date with Las Vegas also falls within Brown’s minimum four-game absence.

That leaves Romeo Doubs in position to take on a much larger role.

Doubs had a costly drop in Seattle, but he now becomes the most established option in a receiver room that also includes Mack Hollins, Pop Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism. New England may need to spread targets around rather than simply asking one player to replace Brown’s production.

That’s easier said than done.

Brown entered 2026 with more than 8,000 career receiving yards and 56 touchdown catches, giving the Patriots a proven physical presence who could win contested catches, stretch defenses vertically and create favorable matchups elsewhere.

Without him, opposing defenses can afford to play New England differently.

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The pressure now shifts toward the rest of the passing game to become more reliable, particularly after the Patriots managed only 10 points in the opener. Doubs will need to rebound, Douglas could see more opportunities underneath, and Hollins may be asked to take on a larger snap share.

Brown’s absence doesn’t end New England’s season, but it does immediately shrink the margin for error.

For a Patriots offense that already struggled to finish drives in Week 1, losing its top receiver this early is about as unwelcome a development as it gets.