Ole Miss football fans know the name AJ Brown well.
Before he became one of the NFL’s toughest wide receivers he ran routes in Oxford for the Rebels and turned into a five-star talent teams couldn’t stop talking about.
Now he’s a Patriot and he’s hurting.
New England was still in the third quarter of its season opener against the Seattle Seahawks when Brown had to come off the field.
Drake Maye tried finding him on third down while Seahawks defender Nehemiah Pritchett covered close by. Pritchett came down awkwardly and caught Brown’s ankle underneath him as both players fell, and Brown reached down in pain right away.
He couldn’t put weight on it and stayed down for a bit. Trainers helped him up and he spent a good while getting checked out before finally heading to the locker room. He didn’t come back.
What we know about the injury
Early word is it’s a high ankle sprain and nothing showed up broken on X-rays. Thursday’s MRI should give a clearer answer on how many games he could miss.
High ankle sprains can range from a quick one to three week absence all the way up to a few months depending on how bad the tear is.
After the game head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t have much to share. “I don’t have any update yet,” Vrabel said. “Wasn’t able to return, obviously.”
Before he went down Brown had already made his mark in his first game wearing a Patriots uniform. He caught three passes for 26 yards.
Earlier in the game he’d turned a poorly placed deep shot into points, tracking back on a trick play throw and drawing an interference call near the goal line.
That set up a touchdown from rookie tight end Eli Raridon just one snap later, which ended up being New England’s only score of the first half.
A big offseason investment for New England
The Patriots had been chasing Brown for months before the deal with Philadelphia finally got finalized in early June, with New England parting with a first-round pick in 2028.
The team didn’t stop there either. Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker signed on, receiver Romeo Doubs joined the room and the club used a draft pick on tackle Caleb Lomu, all aimed at giving Maye more help around him.
Brown’s track record made the move an easy sell for Patriots fans. Six times in his first seven pro seasons he’s cleared 1,000 receiving yards, a level of consistency few receivers in the league can match.
Watching him limp off in Week 1 wasn’t the debut anyone in New England pictured.
Ole Miss ties still run deep
Back home Rebels fans have kept an eye on Brown’s career since he left campus, and this latest scare is a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NFL.
Ole Miss produced one of the more physical route runners in the league and Brown’s game still carries the same toughness he showed for the Rebs.
For now everyone is just waiting on Thursday’s MRI.
Once results come back Patriots fans and Ole Miss fans will get a clearer picture of what’s next for Brown and how much time he could miss to start the season.
