At long last, A.J. Brown is on his way to Foxborough.
The Eagles have traded the star wide receiver to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, Philadelphia announced on Monday. The deal is pending a physical.
The move reunites Brown with Pats head coach Mike Vrabel, for whom the wideout played his first three seasons in Tennessee (2019-2022).
A Brown trade has bubbled for the past several months, with the Patriots emerging as the likely destination. The question became when and for how much? Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had stood firm that he wouldn’t give away the wideout, but it’s been clear that, at the right price, Philly was comfortable moving on. The Patriots eventually met the ask.
As the offseason rumor mill churned, the Eagles weren’t pressed to move Brown, but as the weeks wore on, it became obvious a trade was coming at the onset of June. Waiting until after June 1 to make the trade avoids a massive $43.45 million dead money hit to the salary cap this year. The Eagles can now split that over the next two seasons: $16.3 million in 2026 and $27.1 million in 2027. Philly won’t gain any tangible cap space over the next two years, but avoided the large chunk coming in 2026. Waiting didn’t provide Philly with draft assets for 2026, but it’s already made offseason maneuvers to help fill the void, and the Eagles added another chip to their 2027 and 2028 draft stock.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Brown is coming off a frustrating season in which he generated 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 catches with a career-low 12.9 yards per catch. It marked his lowest yardage output since 2021, his final year in Tennessee, when he played just 13 games (869).
Brown’s 2025 campaign was a compilation of vexing social media posts, frustration with his role and exasperating drops. He frequently voiced his displeasure with the Eagles’ offense and his lack of production, particularly in the middle portion of the season. Still, if a 1,000-yard season is a low mark, the Patriots will sign up for that.
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