What A.J. Brown's injury in season opener means for Drake Maye and Patriots offense

A.J. Brown's trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots was one of the biggest moves of the offseason, but the receiver's first game with his new team ended on a sour note.

Brown had to leave the Patriots' season opener vs the Seattle Seahawks in the second half, forcing the Patriots to play without one of their best offensive weapons. New England has hoped that Brown would take the offense to another level as they look to return to the Super Bowl this season.

If Brown is forced to miss an extended amount of time, it will have a huge impact on the Patriots as this season unfolds. That includes other players on the depth chart stepping up to overcome Brown's loss.

Here's what Brown's injury means to the Patriots.

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What happened to A.J. Brown?

A.J. Brown had to leave the season opener vs. the Seahawks after he appeared to roll his ankle on a play. Drake Maye threw Brown the ball on a slant on third down, but the Seahawks defender landed on Brown's right ankle.

Brown remained on the field for an extended period of time as medical staff came out to check on him. Brown then limped his way to the locker room for further evaluation.

How long is A.J. Brown out for?

Brown was initially ruled questionable for the contest, but that changed to out for the game after going to the locker room.

Patriots WR AJ Brown has been ruled out for tonight's game due to his ankle injury.

It's unclear exactly how long Brown will be out, but it's not a great sign that he was ruled out so quickly. Brown underwent X-rays on his ankle as the Patriots didn't reveal the official diagnosis.

MORE: How A.J. Brown performed before injury in Patriots debut

Patriots WR depth chart

Brown leads the way on the Patriots depth chart, as he takes over as the team's top wide receiver. The former Eagles star is hoping to provide a different element to the New England offense as he replaces Stefon Diggs on the roster.

Romeo Doubs, though, is also a big addition to the roster, coming over to New England from the Green Bay Packers on a four-year deal. If Brown is forced to miss time, Doubs will be counted on to step up as the top wide receiver on the team.

The rest of the Patriots depth chart features players serving a particular role. DeMario Douglas is the primary slot player on the team and an explosive returner as well, who has grown into his offensive role over the years. Mack Hollins is one of the better blocking receivers in the league, but can contribute as a weapon when needed, and Efton Chism is just depth.

The biggest x-factor is Kyle Williams, the second-year receiver who has big-play potential. While he sits behind Douglas, Williams has the talent to cement himself as an important piece of the offense.

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A.J. Brown injury history

Brown has missed 11 games in his career due to injury, making him a pretty durable player, with a career-low of 13 games played while playing out the entire season three different times.

Knee strain/bruise

Brown has dealt with his fair share of injuries over the course of his career, dating back to his time with the Tennessee Titans. Brown first suffered a knee bruise in September of 2020, which forced him to miss two games for the Titans.

Then, Brown had four different knee strains from 2021 to 2024, but he only missed one game overall as a result. One of those injuries came during training camp, while the other three didn't prove to be too serious.

Hamstring strain

Brown's most costly injury is a hamstring strain, with which he has missed a total of five games. The receiver first missed a game with the injury in September of 2021, then missed three games when he strained a hamstring in September of 2024. Brown's most recent injury was a hamstring strain last year, which also cost him a game.

Chest rib strain

Most of Brown's injuries have been to the lower body, including a calf pull and a knee bruise. He also suffered a chest rib strain during the 2021 season, which forced him to miss three games.