Patriots' Romeo Doubs Has Major Opportunity to Rebound from Shaky Debut

The New England Patriots will be down A.J. Brown for the next four week (and potentially two more after that, according to reporting by NFL Network). Who will step up in his place?

There's a likely option, and one that certainly needs a big step up from last week's showing. Romeo Doubs, who was held catchless in the Patriots' season-opening 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Wednesday, can step into the team's WR1 role this week.

After signing a massive four-year, $68 million contract with New England in the offseason, Doubs was operating as the team's quote-unquote wide receiver one. That is until the Patriots traded for Brown on June 1. Since then, Brown has been the team's go-to guy in the passing game.

For the sake of both the Patriots and Doubs, he's going to have to become the go-to guy these next few games. Last week, he wasn't. Doubs was targeted on Drake Maye's first interception, made a crucial drop one drive later (he said he wasn't "locked in") that bled into Maye's second interception the following play.

Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) reacts after an injury during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It wasn't an inspiring performance, and Doubs knew it.

"I mean, it's always disappointing to lose in this league," he said postgame. "I've just got to be better."

Doubs Needs To Bounce Back In Week 2

There's a reason why the Patriots signed Doubs for that much money back in March. The mild-mannered 26-year-old was coming off a great 2025 season with the Green Bay Packers. He caught 55 balls last year for a career-high 724 yards and six touchdowns. In the playoffs, he added eight catches for 124 yards and another touchdown.

That resume from a year ago feels like a potential match for a Patriots receiver room that has struggled in recent years. Doubs has shown soft hands throughout his career, and is a good intermediate route runner.

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) does a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He'll need to show those traits these next few weeks. Without Brown's deep-ball playmaking, it's going to shorten the field a lot. Doubs will start needing to prove his worth.

And yes, it's just one week into his New England career. But with the Patriots sitting at 0-1 and with plenty of Super Bowl aspirations this season (and beyond), Doubs will need to bounce back and take advantage of his newfound opportunity.

He'll also need to reignite that chemistry with his quarterback, one we saw in training camp.

"I have the utmost confidence in him. I know what he can do," Doubs said of Maye. "I've watched him and what he's done in this league a long time, and, like I said, this doesn't define him. It's just this league, it's always a pendulum in this league. For myself, I'll just be better."

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