Reports: A.J. Brown is expected to miss at least four weeks

Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown‘s ankle injury is expected to keep him out for an extended period of time.

According to multiple reports, an MRI on Thursday confirmed that Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain when he was injured during Wednesday night’s 13-10 loss to the Seahawks. Those reports also say that Brown is expected to miss at least four weeks while he recovers from the injury.

The Patriots face a run of 2025 playoff teams during the first weeks of Brown’s expected absence. They host the Steelers in Week 2 before traveling to Jacksonville and Buffalo for their next two games.

Navigating that stretch without Brown will be tougher and it’s not an ideal start to the wideout’s tenure with the team. Drake Maye is coming off a three-interception fourth quarter in Seattle on Wednesday that also featured a crucial drop by Romeo Doubs. Doubs was the most prominent addition to the receiving corps for most of the offseason and the team will need him to thrive in a prominent role to get the offense on track without Brown.