With Brown Sidelined, Diggs and the Depth Chart Carry the Load

A.J. Brown is on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, and the Patriots are one week into a season that was supposed to feature him as the centerpiece of a retooled offense. He came over from Philadelphia with considerable fanfare — the "always owned a Patriots rug" stuff was charming, the fit with Drake Maye looked real — and now he's watching from the sideline while New England figures out how to replace that production.

The short answer is they can't replace it directly, but the group they have isn't nothing. Stefon Diggs led this offense in receiving yards last season and remains active. Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas are both healthy and on the roster. Kayshon Boutte, who had a productive 2025, gives Maye another option underneath. Kyle Williams is active as well. None of them are A.J. Brown, but collectively they represent a functional receiving corps — just not the one New England envisioned when it made that acquisition.

The piece I wrote last week noted that this was the first real test of the depth. A week later, that test is ongoing. The next few games will tell us whether the offense can sustain itself through Maye's legs and the tight end room — Hunter Henry had a strong 2025 — or whether the absence of a true alpha receiver starts to flatten the passing attack in ways that matter in close games. That last part is worth watching: this team was already 70% in tight contests last season, below its overall winning percentage, and losing a weapon of Brown's caliber doesn't help when margins get thin.