The New England Patriots didn’t craft an offense around the idea of playing without A.J. Brown, but that’s now the problem Josh McDaniels has to solve.
Brown was placed on injured reserve Friday after suffering a high-ankle sprain in New England’s 13-10 season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The move guarantees the three-time Pro Bowler will miss at least four games, stripping Drake Maye of the most accomplished receiver on the roster as the Patriots try to recover from an uneven offensive opener.
McDaniels’ answer to the setback was revealing. Rather than identify a single receiver who will inherit Brown’s workload, the Patriots offensive coordinator framed the response as a collective one.
McDaniels Explains ‘All-Hands-on-Deck’ Response
Asked Friday how Brown’s absence changes the offense, McDaniels said injuries at this stage require “an all-hands-on-deck approach,” noted in a X post from ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via the “Jones & Keefe Show”).
“We got a lot of different skill guys that can do a lot of different things,” McDaniels said. “There isn’t one person on the roster that can replace anybody like A.J.”
Patriots OC Josh McDaniels: “Any injury that you get at this time of the season, you kind of approach it with an all-hands-on-deck approach. We got a lot of different skill guys
McDaniels added that New England will “band together” and try to put players in positions that suit their strengths.
That approach makes sense when looking at what Brown represented. New England acquired him in June after a 2025 season in which he caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. He had reached 1,000 receiving yards in six of his first seven NFL seasons before arriving in Foxborough.
His Patriots debut lasted only 31 offensive snaps. Brown still caught three passes for 26 yards and drew a defensive pass interference penalty that helped set up New England’s first touchdown. The Patriots’ official statistics show the offense finished with only 178 passing yards, while Maye threw three fourth-quarter interceptions.
With Brown now unavailable through at least Week 5, McDaniels has to replace several functions rather than one name: boundary size, contested-catch ability, explosive plays and the attention Brown demands from defensive backs.
Doubs, Williams Move Into Spotlight
The first player under pressure is Romeo Doubs, who signed a four-year, $68 million contract in March.
Doubs was targeted three times against Seattle and didn’t record a catch, a quiet debut after he posted career highs with 724 receiving yards and six touchdowns for Green Bay last season.
ESPN reported the contract carried a $68 million base value with incentives that can push it to $80 million.
Brown’s absence gives Doubs a chance to take a larger share of the perimeter passing game.
Over to the other receivers, Mack Hollins led Patriots receivers with 50 offensive snaps against Seattle, followed by DeMario Douglas with 44 and Doubs with 40. Kyle Williams played only 12. Pro Football Focus noted that Brown starred as the X receiver before the injury, with Williams serving as his primary backup at that spot.
The second-year receiver flashed as a vertical threat during the preseason, and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel previously highlighted his speed and release package as traits that separate him from the rest of the room.
More snaps for Williams would preserve some of the field-stretching element Brown provided, even if the responsibilities are distributed differently.
The Patriots can also lean more heavily on tight end Hunter Henry and their running backs in the passing game. Rhamondre Stevenson had five catches for 44 yards in Week 1, tied for the team lead in receptions.
New England has extra time before hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 20.
Patriots’ Josh McDaniels Makes A.J. Brown Replacement Admission After IR Blow