A.J. Brown was spotted limping after sustaining an injury in the third quarter of the New England Patriots' 2026 NFL season opener against the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of the Super Bowl.
A.J. Brown #1 of the New England Patriots runs the ball against Nehemiah Pritchett #28 of the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter in the game at Lumen Field on September 09, 2026 in Seattle, Washington
A.J. Brown suffered an injury in the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks(Image: Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
A.J. Brown was ruled out of the New England Patriots' 2026 NFL season opener against the Seattle Seahawks after sustaining an injury in the third quarter.
With just over 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Brown, being tracked by Seahawks star Nehemiah Pritchett, failed to haul in a pass from quarterback Drake Maye. Brown was slow to get up, grabbing his right ankle as he stayed on the turf as the Patriots' medical staff tended to him.
He eventually stood up and limped to the sideline as play resumed. Brown's injury comes two quarters after Sam Darnold was ruled out of the rest of the game after suffering a hip injury just five snaps into the Seahawks' title defense.
Brown then made his way into the medical tent as the Patriots continued to monitor his health after seeing him on the grass. NBC Sports' Melissa Stark gave more insight into the Patriots' handling of Brown amid an injury scare just three quarters into New England's new season.
"The Patriots telling us that their new addition, wide receiver A.J. Brown, questionable to return because of an ankle injury," she told Mike Tirico during NBC's broadcast.
"We saw him grabbing that right ankle, limp off the field. He's now in the medical tent with the head athletic trainer and the team doctor, who took his cleat off and he remains in there." After a brief trip to the medical tent, cameras spotted a limping Brown heading to the locker room to undergo further testing.
A.J. Brown sustained an ankle injury in the New England Patriots' 2026 NFL season opener
A.J. Brown sustained an ankle injury in the New England Patriots' 2026 NFL season opener(Image: NBC)
View 2 Images
It was then reported and confirmed that Brown would miss the rest of the game due to the ankle injury. Before his injury, Brown was beginning to get acclimated to Maye's style of play, notching 26 receiving yards on three receptions on four targets.