Should the 2026 Patriots Be Worried About Their Three-Time Pro Bowl WR’s Injury?
During the first game of the 2026 NFL season, the New England Patriots tried to upset the Seattle Seahawks in this Super Bowl LX rematch. New England led 10-0 in the third quarter on the road when three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered an ankle injury after a Seahawks defender rolled into him, and Brown stayed on the field after the play. At first, he was questionable to return; however, the three-time Pro Bowler was ruled out for the rest of the game. Once the 29-year-old receiver left the game, the Patriots’ offense suffered dramatically, with quarterback Drake Maye throwing three interceptions throughout the game, including one during the last play of the game, which ultimately gave Seattle a 13-10 win. After the loss, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had no postgame update on his new top receiver. Now questions arise about whether the Patriots should be worried about Brown and their 2026 season as a whole.
Brown finished with three receptions for 26 yards. He was targeted four times, and his longest catch of the night went for 14 yards. The three-time Pro Bowler helped draw a 34-yard pass interference penalty that would help New England set up their first score of the night. After the first game of the new season, both the Patriots and Seahawks already had to deal with injuries to their key players. On the fifth drive of the game, Seattle’s quarterback Sam Darnold sustained a hip injury that kept him out of the game, as he was replaced by backup Drew Lock. The Seahawks have already received the news, and reports have already come out about their starting QB, with doctors ruling out a fracture. Darnold will have an MRI tomorrow for more information, but after an X-Ray and CT scan, the Super Bowl LX Champion QB avoided a huge injury, which is a major sign of relief for Seattle. The same cannot be said about Brown and the Patriots thus far.
Should New England be worried about their three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver? Well, that depends on how bad the injury actually is. If Brown just rolled or sprained his ankle, missing a game or two won’t hurt New England significantly. However, if he’s out longer than a two-game, maybe three-game period, then the Patriots should start to worry. They need Brown’s production if New England wants to find the same sort of success they did last season.
