SEATTLE — The New England Patriots listed wide receiver A.J. Brown as questionable to return Wednesday night with a right ankle injury. NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark reported the designation and said Brown was being checked in the injury tent.
Brown was hurt on New England’s opening drive of the third quarter at Lumen Field.
Drake Maye threw to him on third down, Brown got tangled with a Seattle defender, and the pass fell incomplete. He stayed down. He walked off under his own power a moment later, grabbing at his leg.
New England punted, and a roughing the kicker flag kept the drive alive. Brown did not go back out with the offense. Andres Borregales finished the possession with a 50-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. NESN reported that Brown took his cleat off inside the medical tent.
Brown had three catches for 26 yards, which led the Patriots at the time he left. Two of them converted third downs. He also drew the pass interference penalty on the drive that produced the game’s only touchdown, a 2-yard throw from Maye to rookie tight end Eli Raridon, NBC reported.
A.J. Brown’s Patriots Debut And The Trade From Philadelphia
Wednesday was Brown’s first football of any kind in a New England uniform. He sat all three preseason games, as most of the Patriots starters did, and finished the exhibition schedule without a snap.
Philadelphia traded him on June 1 for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Eagles took on roughly $43.5 million in dead money and spread it across the 2026 and 2027 caps.
Brown’s read on his own standards going into the season was that his coach’s are higher.
“And they’re even higher than expectations I have myself,” Brown said of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel drafted Brown 51st overall in 2019 with the Tennessee Titans and coached him for three seasons before Tennessee traded him to Philadelphia in April 2022. Brown has 524 receptions for 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns in 105 games and 97 starts. He has made three Pro Bowls, been named second-team All-Pro three times, and won Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles.
Last season he caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging a career-low 12.9 yards per catch.
Brown grew up a Patriots fan and said so repeatedly through camp.
“I’m still in awe, and I’m grateful,” Brown said last week.
New England’s Other Injuries Against The Seattle Seahawks
Cornerback Carlton Davis went to the blue medical tent in the first half after being shaken up. Tight end Hunter Henry took a hard hit from Seattle safety Julian Love on a 13-yard catch in the third quarter and went to the tent as well.
New England ruled out running back TreVeyon Henderson with an ankle injury and center Ben Brown with a knee injury before kickoff. Cornerback Karon Prunty, linebacker Erick Hunter, tackle Walter Rouse, and wide receiver Efton Chism were also inactive. Behren Morton is the emergency third quarterback.
Seattle lost quarterback Sam Darnold on the fifth snap of the game and ruled him out with a right hip injury late in the second quarter. Safety Nick Emmanwori, questionable all week coming off ankle surgery, was inactive. So were safety Ty Okada and receiver Tory Horton.
Maye’s read on Seattle before the game was that the environment would be the problem.
“It’s going to be a tough environment,” Maye told reporters.
Seattle sacked Maye six times and intercepted him twice in Super Bowl LX, a 29-13 New England loss on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium. Through three quarters Wednesday he was 12-of-17 for 84 yards and 1 touchdown, and the Patriots led 10-0.
New England hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 20, at noon CT.
