The Patriots will place wide receiver A.J. Brown on injured reserve and plan to sign defensive lineman DaQuan Jones to a one-year deal to fill his spot on the 53-man roster, a league source confirmed Friday.
Brown, who exited Wednesday night’s season opener with a high ankle sprain, will miss at least the next four games. The Patriots will host the Steelers in Week 2, travel to face the Jaguars in Week 3 and Bills in Week 4, and return home to play the Raiders in Week 5.
The Patriots have Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, and Efton Chism available at wide receiver. There should be ample opportunity for Williams, who played 12 snaps on Wednesday, to log more reps.
Placing Brown on IR is a disappointing outcome for the Patriots, who traded a first-round pick to acquire him, then traded Kayshon Boutte because of their depth at receiver.
Brown’s last complete season was in 2023. His last two years with the Eagles, he missed six games while dealing with hamstring and knee injuries. When Brown has been healthy, he has ranked near the top of the NFL in receiving yards and receptions.
The 34-year-old Jones (6 feet 4 inches, 320 pounds) will serve as a veteran presence within the defensive interior. His experience at nose tackle can help fill the void left by Khyiris Tonga, who departed in free agency.
The team had hosted Jones for a visit during training camp.
In their 13-10 loss in the opener against the Seahawks, the Patriots relied primarily on the defensive tackle trio of Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Cory Durden. Joshua Farmer (nine snaps) and Leonard Taylor (seven snaps) rotated in.
Seahawks rookie running back Jadarian Price finished with 52 yards on 10 carries.
Jones has previous experience with coach Mike Vrabel, playing three seasons for him in Tennessee (2018-20).
The Titans drafted Jones out of Penn State in the fourth round in 2014. He spent seven seasons in Tennessee, before a year with the Panthers (2021) and four with the Bills (2022-25).
Last year, he suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for five games.
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.