FOXBORO — The Patriots are starting Ben Brown at center on Sunday against the Texans, head coach Jerod Mayo announced pre-game on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Brown was signed off the Raiders’ practice squad on Thursday. He took a red-eye flight from Las Vegas on Wednesday night, arrived Thursday morning and got in two practices before Sunday’s game. He was spotted taking first-team reps in Friday’s practice.

Patriots starting center and captain David Andrews was placed on injured reserve after worsening a shoulder injury in Week 4. Nick Leverett started at center in Week 5 and allowed 10 pressures, per PFF. That was tied for the most pressures allowed by a center in the PFF era (since 2006).

Brown went undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2022. The 6-foot-5, 313-pounder spent time with the Bengals, Seahawks and Cardinals before the Raiders and Patriots.