AJ Brown's Patriot Debut Ends With Ankle Injury

AJ Brown, the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots in March in one of the offseason's biggest deals, hurt his right ankle in the first half of Wednesday night's season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field and was briefly out of the game before returning to the field in the second half.

The injury occurred in the second quarter on a catch over the middle when Brown landed awkwardly on his right leg after absorbing contact from a Seahawks defender.

He was evaluated in the blue injury tent on the sideline and walked to the locker room. He returned for the second half. No fracture was found on X-rays taken at the stadium.

The Seahawks won the Super Bowl LX rematch in what was their season opener and the Seahawks' first home game of 2026. Sam Darnold, who led Seattle to the NFC's top seed and a Super Bowl appearance last season, was injured in the game.

Brown's ankle will be monitored through the week ahead of Week 2. He is expected to play.