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Did Romeo Doubs have any idea what he was in for when he signed on as a free agent with the New England Patriots this winter?
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Already in the firing line after his three-target, zero-catch, one-massive-drop debut in the NFL season opener at Seattle, Doubs now draws the attention of every fan in New England with Friday’s news that A.J. Brown has been placed on injured reserve, meaning that he will miss at least four games.
You’re not in Green Bay anymore, Romeo, not making $17 million a year for the defending AFC champions.
Already accepting the heat
“I’ve just got to be better,” said the former Packer after the disappointment in Seattle. “Part of my job as a player is to make this team better, and I’ll be better moving forward.”
With Brown out, at least for the next month, Doubs assumes the lead receiver role.
Where he fits in this offense is still yet to be determined. Unlike in Green Bay, where he constantly beat man coverage and moved the chains on third down, his debut, after watching the All-22 film, was filled with plays in which he simply couldn’t beat a single defender.
He’ll need to be better, especially for Maye, with whom he is still building a relationship on the field.
“It’s building. I mean, I just put (Wednesday night’s interception) on my end. I’ll just be able to move forward,” he said. “That had nothing to do with Drake. That was 150 percent me, and I’ll be better.”
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Who else will answer call?
Not only will Doubs need to excel under the pressure, the rest of the lineup will need to raise its game.
Mack Hollins’ season debut (4 catches, 51 yards) was a warning to opponents to not sit back and play in zone. He and Maye made it look easy under those conditions.
New England will likely see a lot of tight man, putting the onus on DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism to win on the inside.
Neither has proven the ability to do that during their time.
Could Williams step up?
The final option could be second-year man Kyle Williams, whom the New England coaches had hoped could ease into the role that opened when Kayshon Boutte was dealt to Houston.
Williams (10 catches, 3 TDs as a rookie) has shown the ability to run straight down the field and haul in the long ball. His progression will now be sped up with the Brown injury.
But it all bounces back to Doubs. He was brought in to replace Stefon Diggs, who had the first Patriots 1,000-yard receiving season since Julian Edelman did it in 2019.
Doubs has to fill that void immediately, or the Patriots’ offense could be cooked.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 12:10 PM.