After months of media speculation, the Patriots and Eagles have agreed to a trade that sends star wide receiver A.J. Brown to New England.
The Patriots will send a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Eagles for Brown. By trading him after June 1, Philly avoids a major cap charge this season by splitting Brown's signing bonus proration over the next two seasons. Currently, Brown is signed through the 2029 season if the Patriots and their new star receiver don't restructure his Eagles contract.
Brown, who will turn 29 years old this month, is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. In 2025, Brown had 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. He also ranked sixth among wide receivers in ESPN's receiver score metric. Last season, Brown logged nearly 87 percent of his snaps on the outside. Most of his targets came on hitches (24.1%) and go routes (23.6%), with his ability to win the ball downfield making him an intriguing fit with Patriots QB Drake Maye. Brown's yards after the catch production and average target depth decreased last season but that could be due to how he was deployed in Philly's offense. In offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels's system, Brown could move around the formation and receive more targets between the numbers, which might reignite his ability to create yards after the catch.
This offseason, New England moved on from top receiver Stefon Diggs. The Patriots then pivoted to adding free-agent wideout Romeo Doubs, who projects to play a similar chain-moving role to the one Diggs played last season. By adding Brown, the Patriots create a proper pecking order in their offensive hierarchy, with Brown likely their No. 1 receiver, while he also complements Doubs as primarily an outside receiver.
Ultimately, Brown is more of a power forward at this stage, winning mostly by out-muscling defenders for the football down the field. Still, he has the potential to be the finishing piece for the Patriots offense and is a familiar face for head coach Mike Vrabel. After being selected by Vrabel's Titans in the 2019 draft, Brown spent three seasons in Tennessee with Vrabel as his head coach. The two now reunite in New England after Brown spent four seasons with the Eagles, where he made two Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl LIX.
New England finally got its guy after a months-long rumor mill linking Brown to the Patriots.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
