A.J. Brown suffers ankle injury in Patriots debut

A.J. Brown's much-anticipated Patriots debut came to a crashing halt early in the third quarter when the standout wide receiver suffered an ankle injury trying to pluck a low throw from Drake Maye. Brown was initially ruled questionable to return before being ruled out and was seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot after the game.

On Thursday, NFL Network reported that Brown's X-rays were negative for a fracture, and the wide receiver is believed to have a high ankle sprain. He will have an MRI on Thursday to determine how severe the injury is.

As shown on this replay, Brown's ankle bent awkwardly when trapped between the ground and Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett.

If it is a high ankle sprain, the grade will significantly impact Brown's time away from the field.

A high ankle sprain involves tearing or damaging the high ankle ligaments that connect the tibia to the fibula, per the Cleveland Clinic. There are three grades, with Grade 1 being the mildest.

Following the loss, Maye discussed the play that resulted in Brown's injury, citing what he can do better as a quarterback.

"I threw one low to him and should have hit him in the chest," the third-year QB said. "I've got to make a better play and make a better throw for him."

Safety Kevin Byard said he "went and checked in" on Brown in the training room and spoke to him quickly. Bryard said Brown was "in good spirits, so it was good to see."

Brown had three catches for 26 yards at the time of his departure, a modest stat line but also one that doesn't fully capture his impact. He also drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty on an underthrown Maye pass off a flea flicker.

The Patriots went on to lose to the defending Super Bowl champs 13–10 in a messy game for New England. Maye threw three interceptions, including one in the end zone at the end of the game, ending any chance for the visiting team to tie it up and send the game into overtime.

The offense looked rusty even with Brown on the field and, in his absence, struggled to find a rhythm.

The Patriots will have their home opener on Sept. 20 against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and NE may have to play without their WR1.