A.J. Brown’s first game for the New England Patriots ended with a right ankle injury during the third quarter of their 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9. [1] [2]
Brown was injured on New England’s first possession of the second half, on a third-and-four play from the Patriots’ 48-yard line. Seattle cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett came down on Brown’s right ankle while breaking up a low pass from Drake Maye. [1]
The Patriots initially listed Brown as questionable to return before ruling him out. He finished with three receptions for 26 yards on four official targets. [1] [2]
Head coach Mike Vrabel did not provide a diagnosis when asked about Brown after the game. [3]
“I don’t have any update yet,” Vrabel said. “Wasn’t able to return, obviously.” [3]
Brown helped set up New England’s touchdown
Brown’s receiving line did not capture all of his involvement before the injury. In the second quarter, he drew a 34-yard defensive pass interference penalty against Josh Jobe on a flea-flicker pass. The flag moved New England to Seattle’s 2-yard line. [2]
Maye threw a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Eli Raridon on the next play, giving New England a 7-0 lead. The interference play does not count as one of Brown’s four official targets because the gamebook records it as a penalty play with no play counted. [2]
Maye criticized his ball placement afterward, saying he should have delivered the later pass to Brown’s chest. Brown’s departure left New England without its leading receiver from the first half. [3] [2]
No postgame timetable for a return
Brown arrived from Philadelphia in a June trade that cost New England a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. He had 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2025 regular season. [4] [5]
New England’s next game is at home against Pittsburgh on September 20. Vrabel’s postgame comments did not establish whether Brown would be available for it. [6] [3]
For now, the confirmed news from Wednesday’s game is that Brown injured his right ankle and could not return. An assessment of the injury’s severity, or how it might affect the Patriots’ plans for Pittsburgh, requires a further medical update.
Sources
- Evan Lazar, Patriots.com: Week 1 game observations, September 9, 2026
- NFL official gamebook: Patriots at Seahawks, September 9, 2026
- Patriots.com: New England postgame transcript, September 9, 2026
- Evan Lazar, Patriots.com: A.J. Brown film review, June 2, 2026
- NFL.com: A.J. Brown career receiving statistics
- Patriots.com: Next-game listing, Pittsburgh at New England, September 20, 2026
