A.J.Brown

News: 8 hours agoCoach Mike Vrabel didn't have an update on Brown (ankle) after Wednesday's loss at Seattle in which the wide receiver left early due to injury, Taylor Kyles of CLNSMedia.com reports.

Spin: Brown exited early in the third quarter after his right ankle was rolled up on by a Seahawks defender as he was attempting to gather in a pass from QB Drake Maye. Brown eventually was ruled out later in the second half, ending Week 1 with three catches (on four targets) for 26 yards. He likely will undergo a battery of tests to hone in on the extent of the injury, especially after being spotted in a walking boot postgame, per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Brown was traded to the Patriots in June. The veteran receiver enters 2026 looking to continue his streak of finishing in the top 15 in fantasy points per game during each of the four seasons he was with the Eagles. That includes an 11th-place finish in 2025 in which Brown reached the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth time in his seven NFL seasons while finding the end zone exactly seven times for the third year in a row. Brown continues to benefit from elite usage (he has finished no lower than seventh among WRs in target share each of the past seven seasons) and elite efficiency (he has finished 80th percentile or better in yards per route run all seven years). He could use more end zone targets in New England (he had a career-low four last season), but Brown, 29, is set to work as Drake Maye's top target in a good Patriots' offense. He is a fringe fantasy WR1.