Literally the first game of the NFL season, and the Patriots are already dealing with the kind of injury that can derail an offense before it even gets going. New England lost 13-10 to the Seahawks, but the bigger concern came in the third quarter when A.J. Brown went down with an ankle injury.
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And he was not the only one. Earlier, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold limped to the medical tent after taking a sack. Then, with 13:30 left in the third quarter, Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett brought Brown down, leaving the Patriots’ most important receiver clutching his ankle on the turf. Week 1 had barely started, and both teams were already paying the price.
“#Patriots WR A.J. Brown was seen walking out of the locker room wearing a boot on his right foot, per @_AndrewCallahan,” journalist Carlos Lopez wrote on X. “HC Mike Vrabel said he had no update regarding Brown’s ankle injury postgame.”
“I don’t have any update yet,” the head coach said at the post-game press conference. “Wasn’t able to return, obviously.”
Concern around Brown only grew after he left the field. A Seahawks defender appeared to land on his right ankle as he went down, and although Brown managed to walk off with trainers, he later underwent X-rays and left the locker room wearing a walking boot. That is hardly the sight the Patriots wanted to see after the first game of the season.
Strength and conditioning specialist Sebastian Fearon later raised the possibility of a high ankle sprain, suggesting Brown could miss around three to four weeks if that diagnosis is confirmed, with his production potentially affected for even longer. The Patriots have not confirmed the exact nature of the injury yet, but the timing already made it costly enough.
That is what makes Brown’s injury especially damaging for New England. He is the kind of receiver who forces defenses to account for him on every snap, stretches coverage and creates space for the rest of the offense. If he misses time, the Patriots lose that pressure point, making the passing game easier to defend and putting more responsibility on the rest of the receiving corps.
Brown went down while New England was still in control, and the offense never really settled after that. Drake Maye eventually threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter as Seattle erased the Patriots’ lead and dragged the game back in its favor.
New England still had one final shot with 26 seconds left, but Maye’s pass toward Mack Hollins in the end zone was intercepted by Josh Jobe. The Patriots walked away with a 13-10 loss, and instead of talking only about a blown lead, they were left wondering how long they might be without the receiver they brought in to change this offense.
If Brown misses time, Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins will have to take on more responsibility immediately. One game into the season, New England has already lost a close one, watched its offense fall apart late, and seen its biggest receiving weapon leave in a boot. That is a rough way to begin September.