Patriots news: Josh McDaniels had absolutely no idea about A.J. Brown IR

Josh McDaniels, the Patriots' offensive coordinator, expressed surprise upon learning that wide receiver A.J. Brown had been placed on injured reserve (IR). The news came to McDaniens' attention during a recent conversation with WEEI's Jones and Keefe show. Brown had suffered an ankle injury during the Patriots' season-opening 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Following the injury, McDaniels stated, "That's interesting, we weren't in today so I haven't quite heard all that stuff." He emphasized the team's approach to injuries, "Any injury that you get at this point in time of the season, you approach it with an all-hands on deck approach."

McDaniels also acknowledged the absence of a single player who can replace Brown's contributions, stating, "We've got a lot of different skill guys who can do a lot of different things. There isn't one person on our roster that can replace anybody like A.J. in the middle of the game or for a stretch of the season. So, we'll band together and figure out what we can do well and try to get the guys in their places of strength."

According to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, Brown is expected to miss at least four games. The injury occurred at a crucial time for the Patriots, who had been riding a high following the pre-season with fully rested starters. Despite his IR status, Brown could potentially return on October 18 against the New York Jets, provided he is declared healthy.