Report: A.J. Brown likely to become a Patriot after June 1
With days remaining until the 2026 NFL draft, the clearest signs yet have emerged that Brown is headed to New England.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is likely to become a member of the New England Patriots after June 1, according to a report published Monday by ESPN.
“No matter what happens at this week’s draft, an A.J. Brown trade to the Patriots is still on the table and still tracking to happen on or after June 1,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote, citing league sources. “The two sides have discussed a deal, but neither has been willing to commit to it until after June 1, when Brown’s $40 million salary cap charge would be split between this and next year.”
Trading Brown to the Patriots has long been on the table and has been a topic of conversation for much of the offseason. The Eagles recently changed their messaging on the topic. At the league meeting last month, Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni simply stated that Brown was a member of the team.
» READ MORE: The Eagles are assessing A.J. Brown’s trade market. Just don’t expect Howie Roseman to give him away.
Earlier in the offseason, Roseman said: “It’s really hard to find great players. I think A.J. is a great player. I think that, from my perspective, we’re looking to improve in all areas, and you don’t do that by subtracting.”
Since then, the Eagles have added to the wide receiver position. They signed Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency to improve the team’s depth at the position. Then, earlier this month, they traded two draft picks to Green Bay for Dontayvion Wicks and signed him to a one-year extension.
All the while, the Eagles have been pumping up DeVonta Smith during the offseason.
Roseman obviously has been assessing Brown’s market and has had plenty of time to do it, with the June 1 date lingering later in the offseason, when the Eagles have the ability to lessen the blow of the salary cap implications of trading Brown.
One NFL executive said at the combine in February that he heard the Eagles were seeking a return that included a first- and second-round draft pick.
If the Eagles have a handshake agreement of sorts in place with the Patriots, perhaps that could alter their thinking for this week’s draft. Roseman said last week that the draft was its “own entity” and “nothing that we’ve done up until this point will affect the valuations that we have on draft day.” But if Brown being off the team is a foregone conclusion, the Eagles could be looking for a wide receiver early in the draft, even after bringing in multiple new players this offseason.
» READ MORE: 2026 NFL mock draft 4.0: Will the Eagles stand pat or make a first-round trade?
According to ESPN, “the Eagles are also not concerned about adding draft capital for this week’s draft” in a Brown deal and “acquiring additional picks in 2027 and 2028 is even more enticing to them, per sources.”
“Picks in future years were the compensation that was discussed when the Eagles and Rams had extensive trade conversations regarding Brown, which did not materialize into a deal.”
The Patriots have long been the most likely destination for Brown, who was open last season — and the season before that — about his desire to be more involved in the offense, and for the Eagles’ passing offense to improve.
New England needs receiving help, and Brown has long been a fan of both the team and head coach Mike Vrabel.
“We’re going to try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster, through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition,” Vrabel said at the league meeting. “So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we’re going to try to do.”
According to ESPN, another team could emerge as a potential trade partner for Brown, but “multiple sources say they believe Brown and the Patriots are likely to become a tandem.”
The Eagles are due to open their offseason program Monday with the first day of voluntary workouts. Brown has been a regular attendee at such workouts, but “is not expected to attend,” per a Monday report from NFL Network.
The Eagles and Patriots are slated to meet for joint practices during training camp.
Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed reporting to this story.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is a diehard Eagles fan, and just like you, he’s got takes on the offseason, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, and stadium plans. By the nature of his day job, however, he’s also ecstatic that Pittsburgh will become the epicenter of the NFL universe in two weeks, when the Steel City hosts the draft. It marks the second time in 10 years the Commonwealth has welcomed the marquee event. Which positions does Shapiro think the Eagles should address? How about whether the team needs to move on from Brown? Shapiro discusses these topics and more, including owner Jeffrey Lurie’s recent remarks about Lincoln Financial Field’s future, with The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Listen here.
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