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When is A.J. Brown coming back? Will A.J. Brown play again this season? Read about A.J. Brown's return date and injury updates for 2026.
Since 2019, wide receiver A.J. Brown has racked up the fourth-most yards (8,055) and touchdowns (56) among all wide receivers in the NFL. However, the 2025 season was frustrating for Brown, as he fell out with the Eagles and demanded a trade.
Brown finally got his wish and was traded to the Patriots in the 2026 offseason. Unfortunately, He suffered an ankle injury in his first game with his new team and is set to miss some time.
When is Brown coming back? Will he miss most of the season? Let's dive in!
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A.J. Brown Injury Update for Fantasy Football
The long-awaited Super Bowl LX rematch was a cagey and defensive affair. Unlike February, when it took the Patriots almost 50 minutes to get on the board, A.J. Brown proved to be the difference-maker.
Sources: Patriots are placing wide receiver AJ Brown on injured reserve due to his high ankle sprain, sidelining him for a minimum of four games. pic.twitter.com/hzOvh8T4n7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2026
He drew a defensive pass interference penalty from Seahawks CB Josh Jobe midway through the second quarter, which set up the Patriots' first touchdown of the game.
However, Brown suffered an injury in the third quarter after a collision with CB Nehemiah Pritchett. Brown didn't return, and the Patriots eventually lost their second consecutive game against the Seahawks.
Following the game, X-Rays for a fracture came back negative, and it was believed that Brown had suffered a high-ankle sprain.
An MRI confirmed the sprain on Thursday, and since the injury usually takes four to six weeks to recover from, the Patriots decided to open a roster spot.
Brown was placed on the Injured Reserve list on Friday, which means he will miss at least the next four games. Barring any unexpected setbacks, Brown will be back anywhere between mid-October and late November.
A.J. Brown Fantasy Football Outlook
New England's offense struggled mightily after Brown went down. Drake Maye threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, and players such as Romeo Doubs failed to step up.
Patriots convert on fourth down again!
NEvsSEA on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/jK4mTddygF— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2026
Brown is obviously still a fantasy WR1 when healthy, but who should you add to your roster until he recovers?
Mack Hollins looked like Maye's favorite target following Brown's injury, as he caught three passes for 42 yards in the fourth quarter. Despite Doubs' quiet debut, he isn't someone to sleep on, as he led the Packers' competitive WR room in yards last year.
DeMario Douglas led the team in targets with 7, while sophomore Kyle Williams will surely take on a larger role in Brown's absence.
If you're looking at other teams, then the likes of Deebo Samuel Sr., who caught a touchdown against the Rams in Australia, could be a solid add for those in shallower leagues. The Dolphins are also set to start rookie WR duo Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell, and either one could be this season's ultimate risky play for those in deeper 3-WR formats.
Who Should I Start Tool
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: MarShawn Lloyd, Parker Washington, Quentin Johnston, Bhayshul Tuten, Tony Pollard, Michael Mayer. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Marshawn Lloyd, Parker Washington, Quentin Johnston, Bhayshul Tuten, Tony Pollard, Michael Mayer:
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