Patriots Plan To Trade For A.J. Brown After June 1

The Philadelphia Eagles are likely to trade A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots after June 1.

Brown never formally requested a trade, but expressed displeasure with how the Eagles’ offense is run. The Eagles will wait until after June 1 to make the trade so that they can split the dead cap hit between 2026 and 2027. 

Last season, Brown had 78 receptions for 1,003 yards. Although Brown was targeted more than in 2024, his targets were still below those in his first two seasons with the Eagles.

The Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl appearance. Earlier this offseason, they cut Stefon Diggs to create cap space. Diggs had 85 receptions for 1,013 yards. However, he showed a decline in the playoffs. His best game was the divisional round game against the Houston Texans, where he had just 40 yards. Along with that, his personal controversies, like being accused of assaulting his personal chef, led the Patriots to want to move on from Diggs. 

Brown will try to replicate Diggs’ production from last season. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels frequently uses option routes for wide receivers. This means that wide receivers have multiple ways to get open within the offensive scheme. 

During the 2025 season, the Eagles sometimes struggled to get Brown involved. Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was criticized for a lack of flow and creativity in his schemes. He was fired after the playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers and was replaced by Sean Mannion. 

Brown gives a young Patriots team some important veteran experience. He was a big part of the Eagles’ 2024 Super Bowl win. During the playoffs, he had 12 receptions for 163 yards. 

The NFL Draft will start on April 23. Now that the Patriots have the wide receiver spot figured out, they will likely focus on offensive line improvements.