A.J. Brown’s first game with the New England Patriots went well until the opening drive of the second half.
The Patriots’ new star wide receiver departed Wednesday night’s season-opening game against the Seattle Seahawks after suffering an ankle injury early in the third quarter. Brown was initially ruled questionable to return, but was later ruled out for the remainder of the game in the fourth quarter. It’s now believed that the three-time Pro Bowler suffered a high-ankle sprain, NFL Media reported on Thursday morning.
After the game, Brown reportedly walked out of the locker room wearing a boot on his right foot.
The ankle injury occurred when quarterback Drake Maye targeted Brown on a third-and-4, with the wide receiver’s leg being rolled on by a Seahawks’ defender when the ball was knocked away.
Brown was able to walk off the field under his own power. However, Brown went to the blue medical tent for further evaluation before going to the locker room. He went into the X-ray room during the third quarter, according to the NBC broadcast.
Prior to the injury, Brown recorded a team-high three receptions for 26 yards. His biggest contribution came on a play that didn’t go down in the stat sheet, though; he drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone in the second quarter that led to the Patriots’ first touchdown of the game, giving them a 7-0 lead.
Brown was the Patriots’ biggest acquisition of the offseason, as they traded a future first-round pick and a fifth-round pick to acquire him from the Philadelphia Eagles.
