The Patriots are placing WR A.J. Brown on IR, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. That knocks Brown out for at least the next 4 games, making Week 6 his earliest return.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
This move suggests that Brown is dealing with a significant high-ankle sprain that could impact his availability and/or production beyond these next 4 weeks. He should stay stashed in all fantasy leagues, but Brown might not be a comfortable fantasy start until the second half of the season. And that's if he avoids a setback.
Brown's absence leaves New England weak at WR. We broke down the impact on the WR room and QB Drake Maye in a previous Shark Bite.
