Patriots WR A.J. Brown expected to miss at least 4 weeks with high ankle sprain

The New England Patriots might be without star wide receiver A.J. Brown for longer than they hoped.

An MRI on Thursday reportedly confirmed that Brown suffered a high ankle sprain, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport . Brown is expected to miss at least four weeks with the injury, per Rapoport. High ankle sprains typically require four to six weeks of recovery.

Brown suffered the injury during the third quarter of Wednesday night's loss to the Seattle Seahawks , with the 29-year-old receiver grabbing at his lower right leg after an incompletion. Brown stayed down while athletic staff tended to him before he was helped off the field.

Postgame, Brown was reportedly seen leaving the locker room in a walking boot on his right foot. Prior to leaving the game, Brown had three receptions for 26 yards.

Overall, it wasn't the best night for the Patriots, with quarterback Drake Maye throwing a mind-boggling interception to basically end the game, and receiver Romeo Doubs notably failing to grab any of his three targets, including a brutal drop in the second half. The Seahawks rallied to a 13-10 win after scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Given the recovery timeline, it's possible the Patriots will choose to place Brown on injured reserve, which will require him to miss the next four games. New England 's next game isn't until Sept. 20 (as a result of the unusual Wednesday opener), but a four-week absence would land Brown's return somewhere around the Patriots' Week 6 game against the New York Jets .

Brown wasn't the only notable injury in Wednesday's game: Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold went down with a hip injury very early in the matchup. However, Darnold's outlook appears more optimistic, as the veteran QB avoided a fracture and is instead reportedly dealing with an unusual muscle strain .

The Patriots had acquired Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles as part of a big offseason trade in June, with the hope of reigniting the receiver's talent. Instead, it looks like they'll be without him for the first chunk of the year.