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One week into the season, and the New England Patriots have gotten some pretty bad news.
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Wide receiver A.J. Brown, who they traded a first round pick for back in June, suffered a high-ankle sprain in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks and will be placed on short-term injury reserve.
That roster move will knock Brown out for the next four games (Week 2 vs. Pittsburgh, Week 3 at Jacksonville, Week 4 at Buffalo and Week 5 vs. Las Vegas). Brown, who caught three passes in the team’s 13-10 loss to the Seahawks on Wednesday, left the game in the third quarter after trying to catch a ball from Drake Maye on a slant.
He spent a brief time in the blue medical tent before limping to the Patriots locker room. One day later, head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t have any clear update on Brown’s status.
“A.J. will be running more tests, but we will update you here next week,” he said. “He was not able to finish the game, and we will continue to evaluate, continue to get tests run. But I don’t know if he will be available going forward here for the next week, but we’ll see. I know he will do everything that he can to get back as quickly as possible, and once we get the reports, then we’ll figure out what the treatment plan is.”
Now that Brown won’t be on the field for at least the next four weeks, here are some of the internal options at wide receiver that the Patriots can use to try and replace Brown’s big-bodied production.
Romeo Doubs
Doubs didn’t have a good debut by any stretch of the imagination. He was targeted three times, and two of those were some of the biggest plays in the loss.
One of them was Maye’s first interception of the night, and then another was a crosser that Doubs dropped with no one around. One play later, Maye turned it over again.
Doubs was open about his struggles in the locker room postgame, but will now need to be a bigger part of the offense without Brown. The team’s big profile free agent signing this past offseason, Doubs will need to play up to his $68 million contract.
Mack Hollins
After Brown went down, Hollins stepped up in his place. He led all Patriots receivers with four receptions for a team-high 51 yards. He came up big on the final drive, where he converted a big fourth down to keep the series alive.
He too was critical after the game, as Maye’s third interception was directed to Hollins in the end zone. Hollins has the chance to get more snaps in the passing game the next few weeks as the primary intermediate threat.
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For most of the game, Hollins was used as an extra blocker and would sometimes signal to the defense that a run was coming. Now with a depleted group, it could force the Patriots to offer more personnel variety.
Kyle Williams
Williams, who scored three times in the preseason, played just 12 offensive snaps. Used as the top kick return option, the second-year receiver didn’t factor into the passing plan against Seattle’s tough defense.
He might be called upon more in these next few weeks, especially when his speed can help change the game in a blink of an eye. The speedster was able to score all three of his touchdowns as a rookie by beating players with his legs and can take the top off the defense.
Williams won’t get better by sitting on the bench. With this bigger opportunity, it could be a fantastic stepping stone for the 23-year-old.
Kyle Dixon
This one might be a bit of a stretch, but if the Patriots want to match Brown’s 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame, they might be able to do so internally.
Undrafed free agent Kyle Dixon, who played college baseball before transferring to NAIA Culver-Stockton, remains on the practice squad after a solid preseason. Dixon stands tall at 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds, so from a physical standpoint, the 25-year-old rookie could help match Brown’s stature.
The Patriots also have DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III and Cameron Dorner (practice squad) in the building, but based on their skillsets, they might not be a 1-for-1 replacement for Brown in the passing game.
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Today’s best reads
- Here’s Why Patriots WR Kyle Williams is Confident Heading into Year 2
- Patriots Have Been Impressed With A.J. Brown’s Growth, Leadership
- Drake Maye’s Comfort Level With Patriots Offense Continues to Impress
- How the Patriots Offense Changed After A.J. Brown Got Injured
- History Made: Patriots, CB Christian Gonzalez Agree To Record-Breaking Contract Extension
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Potential Internal Replacements for Patriots Following A.J. Brown’s Ankle Sprain.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM.