Overview
- Brown suffered a right high-ankle sprain on Wednesday in the Patriots’ season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks and an MRI confirmed the diagnosis.
- The team placed Brown on injured reserve on Friday, which by NFL rules requires him to miss a minimum of four games and makes him eligible to return no earlier than Week 6 against the New York Jets.
- Early medical projections put Brown’s recovery between about three and six weeks, leaving uncertainty whether he will miss only the IR minimum or a longer stretch.
- New England signed defensive tackle DaQuan Jones to open a 53-man roster spot and will turn to Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and tight end Hunter Henry to absorb Brown’s targets.
- Brown was the Patriots’ major offseason trade acquisition from Philadelphia, and his absence reshapes early expectations for quarterback Drake Maye while exposing thin receiver depth across a tough early schedule.