The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to kick off their season on Sunday as the team will host the Atlanta Falcons. This is a game that Pittsburgh should be able to win just due to the quarterback uncertainty for Atlanta and the fact that the Steelers have the better roster. Pittsburgh should win this matchup, and it is important for the Steelers to get off to a hot start during the 2026 season as the schedule gets pretty difficult in the second half of the year. The second game of the year for the Steelers comes against the reigning AFC Champions in the New England Patriots, which is sure to be a tough contest.
Karl Roster / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Derrick Harmon goes after New England Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye
The Patriots came out of nowhere to win the AFC during the 2025 season, and quarterback Drake Maye was the runner-up for the NFL's MVP Award. They are a talented team, and the group got better during the 2026 offseason as New England acquired wide receiver AJ Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles. He immediately upgraded the wide receiver room and gave Maye a true number one option in the passing game. The Patriots opened their season up on Wednesday night in a Super Bowl rematch with the Seattle Seahawks, and the Patriots came up short. The offense struggled after Brown went down with an ankle injury.
#Patriots WR AJ Brown, who left last night’s opener because of an injury, is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2026
X-Rays were negative for a fracture. Brown has an MRI today to determine how much time he’ll miss. pic.twitter.com/CEeCEqWBFK
The ankle injury is unfortunate for Brown who was looking to get off on the right foot in New England. High-ankle sprains can be tricky and could take a while to bounce back from. Fans will know more after he undergoes an MRI, but it is hard to imagine he would be on the field for a Week 2 game against Pittsburgh.
Steven Bisig / Imagn Images
Patriots' AJ Brown runs a route during the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks in 2026.
Brown has been one of the better wide receivers in the league ever since he was drafted, so this would obviously be a large missing piece for the Patriots. Maye struggled without Brown on the field as the three interceptions he threw came after Brown exited the game. Brown got injured near the start of the third quarter, and all three of Maye's interceptions came in the fourth quarter. Without Brown, the offense in New England is going to be relying on Romeo Doubs, Pop Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams. Doubs was another notable offseason addition, but he had a rough outing on Wednesday night as he had a wide-open drop and one of his targets led to an interception.
Brown caught just three passes for 26 yards in his debut with the Patriots, but who knows, if he was out there for the whole game, maybe New England could have held on for the win.
Steelers Have Been Torched By AJ Brown
Brown has played against the Steelers three times in his career, and he has been an absolute nuisance for the defense. In those three appearances he has recorded 20 receptions for a total of 419 yards and three touchdowns. He has averaged 21 yards per receptions, which shows he has been absolutely dominant when lining up across from Pittsburgh. One of those games came while he was a member of the Tennessee Titans, but the other two were with Philadelphia. He recorded over 100 yards in each matchup and at least one score.
Fans should never be wishing injuries on players, but the Steelers would certainly be fortunate to not have to worry about Brown for their Week 2 matchup with the Patriots. If Pittsburgh can take down the Falcons on Sunday, there is a path to 2-0 with how much Maye struggled without Brown on the field.
What do you think about Brown going down with a high-ankle sprain? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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