The Patriots’ trade for A.J. Brown was more than a year in the making.
New England checked in on the star wide receiver multiple times in 2025, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, including during the offseason and around the trade deadline. The Eagles initially lacked interest in a deal, but by the end of the season, Brown wanted out of Philadelphia. His frustrations with the offense had mounted over the past two years. In that span, the unit averaged just 206.3 passing yards per game, the third-fewest in the NFL. Of particular concern was Jalen Hurts‘ “perceived reluctance to target Brown on tight-window throws against zone coverage,” according to ESPN.
Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin once said that he wants “volunteers, not hostages,” in response to a question about All-Pro running Le’Veon Bell‘s holdout. The phrase tends to hold true around the NFL, especially for players like Brown who are unafraid to cryptically or explicitly express their feelings about their situations. After he decided he no longer wanted to be an Eagle, the team was more open to a trade when the Patriots re-engaged at the Combine.
Philadelphia still demanded a hefty asking price – “a first-rounder plus another high-end pick,” per Breer – though they did not seek a second first-round selection in the deal. A soft trade market drove down the price. Brown listed New England among his four preferred landing spots in the AFC. Neither the Chiefs nor the Chargers made headway towards a deal, and the Bills filled their wide receiver need by acquiring D.J. Moore from the Bears.
The Eagles considered sending Brown to an NFC team – and not just any NFC team, but one already seen as an early Super Bowl favorite. The Rams offered a 2028 first-rounder, but the deal failed to materialize due to medical concerns about Brown’s degenerative knee condition. Los Angeles also intended to move Davante Adams to open up more targets in their offense, but that trade was scuttled, too.
Philadelphia’s willingness to take a 2028 first opened a door with the Patriots, who wanted to hang onto their first-round pick in what is expected to be a strong 2027 draft. Both sides were confident enough in a deal by the 2026 draft in April that they acted as though the trade was already done. The Eagles added a trio of veteran receivers (Elijah Moore, Marquise Brown, and Dontayvion Wicks) and traded up for USC’s Makai Lemon in the first round. The Patriots declined to select a wideout at all.
Completing the trade after June 1 had long been a financial requirement for the Eagles. Once that date came, the two sides got together to hammer out the final terms of the deal, which included a 2027 fifth-rounder heading from New England to Philly.
The Patriots will be hoping that Brown can quickly build (and maintain) a rapport with quarterback Drake Maye to avoid similar issues to those he had with Hurts. The Eagles, meanwhile, seem to intend to replace Brown in the aggregate, at least right away. No single one of the receivers they added this offseason can replace his production and impact right away – though they likely expect Lemon to get there eventually – but combined, they offer significantly more depth than Philadelphia previously had at the position.
Would’ve loved to see Brown wind up in Buffalo. That would’ve been some exciting football.