The New England Patriots have officially placed A.J. Brown on injured reserve, meaning their new star wide receiver will miss at least four games after suffering a high ankle sprain in the season opener.

Brown suffered the injury during Wednesday night’s 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks after his right ankle was caught awkwardly underneath him. An MRI later confirmed the high ankle sprain, while initial X-rays ruled out a fracture.

The injury came in Brown’s highly anticipated Patriots debut. The veteran receiver managed just 3 catches for 26 yards before being forced out of the game.

Now, New England will have to move forward without its biggest addition to the offense.

Brown was brought in from Philadelphia during the offseason to give Drake Maye a true No. 1 receiver. He had recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in six of his previous seven seasons, including 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025.

Losing him for at least four games is a massive blow.

The Patriots will now have to rely more heavily on players like Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams while Brown works his way back.

The good news is that Brown avoided a fracture, but high ankle sprains can be tricky, and his recovery could ultimately take longer than the minimum four-game absence.

For now, though, New England knows exactly what it is dealing with.

A.J. Brown is on IR, and the Patriots will have to survive without their new No. 1 receiver for at least the next four games.