# A.J. Brown's absence just got longer

> New England's biggest offseason addition may sit six weeks, and the schedule ahead is brutal.
- Title: A.J. Brown's absence just got longer · Newsweek | Shortify
- Summary: New England's biggest offseason addition may sit six weeks, and the schedule ahead is brutal. Plan for six weeks without Brown, not four, and the Patriots…
- Keywords: nfl, patriots, injuries, aj brown, wide receivers, Brown's, absence, just, got, longer, Newsweek
- Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/sports/nfl/aj-brown-could-miss-even-more-time-than-patriots-initially-thought-report-12436810
- Author: Keagan Stiefel
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nfl, patriots, injuries, aj brown, wide receivers
## Brown lands on IR
The Patriots placed wide receiver A.J. Brown on injured reserve Friday, which sidelines him for at least four weeks.
## Four weeks became six
Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Brown is expected to need more time than the club first thought. Jordan Schultz had the original four-week estimate.

> My understanding is the expectation is that he misses six weeks
## Serious, but no surgery
Rapoport framed it as worse than the usual timeline for this kind of injury, though Brown is not scheduled to go under the knife.

> Generally these are four-to-six (week injuries), but this is a little more serious. Six weeks, no surgery planned.
## The schedule gets mean
New England has the league's hardest three-week stretch and meets four playoff teams from last season while Brown sits.
## Six games to survive
Through Week 7 it's Pittsburgh, at Jacksonville, at Buffalo, Las Vegas, the Jets, then at Chicago. Brown likely misses every one.
## Doubs and Hollins step up
The two veteran receivers, who reacted very differently to the news, now carry the load. Hollins kept it simple about moving on.

> Keep playing. I wish life was like that, where you could wait for your guys to come back and be healthy again.
## Key takeaway

Plan for six weeks without Brown, not four, and the Patriots face four playoff teams in that stretch.