A.J. Brown’s much-anticipated Patriots debut came to a crashing halt early in the third quarter when the standout wide receiver suffered an ankle injury trying to pluck a low throw from Drake Maye. Brown was initially ruled questionable to return before being ruled out.

As shown on this replay, Brown’s ankle bent awkwardly when trapped between the ground and Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett.

It’s still unclear what the extent of the injury is or the recovery time. 

“I don’t have any update yet,” head coach Mike Vrabel said postgame. “Wasn’t able to return, obviously.”

Brown had three catches for 26 yards at the time of his departure, a modest stat line but also one that doesn’t fully capture his impact. He also drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty on an underthrown Drake Maye pass off a flea flicker.

The Patriots were long rumored to be Brown’s eventual destination all offseason as a trade from the Eagles loomed, but the move didn’t become official until June 1 for financial reasons. New England sent a 2028 first-round pick to Philadelphia. Brown was part of a major effort by New England to upgrade Maye’s surroundings, as New England also signed Alijah Vera-Tucker and Romeo Doubs in free agency and drafted Caleb Lomu to boost its tackle depth. Doubs had a big drop in the fourth quarter.