‘Good business’ or an ‘improper ending’ to the A.J. Brown era? Fans and players react to the Eagles’ long-awaited trade.
Fans — as well as former and future teammates — weighed in on social media following the blockbuster trade that sent A.J. Brown from the Eagles to the Patriots.

It was a day most Eagles fans had circled on the calendar since the rumors started swirling: on June 1, the Eagles were trading A.J. Brown.
That day has come and the wide receiver is headed to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick.
Whether it was because there was ample time to prepare for the news or Philly fans are showing a new-found maturity, most of the Eagles fan base seems to be taking it pretty well, at least on social media, with many in agreement that it was time for Brown to go.
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Here’s a look at how Eagles fans, and some of Brown’s former and new teammates reacted to the trade …
The end of the road
It wasn’t just the fact that Brown seemed to want out of the Eagles organization that made many fans ready for this trade. His age and health concerns, especially regarding his knees, were also part of the equation.
Around the league — and the sports world
Brown’s current and former teammates have also taken to social media to share their thoughts and reactions to the trade. Darius Slay had a lot of love to share for his former teammate, while New England defensive tackles Milton Williams and Cory Durden shared their excitement about welcoming Brown to the team.
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On Instagram, Brown posted a thank you message to Eagles fans, before posting a photo of himself as a kid in a Patriots jersey.
Across the two posts, many of Brown’s now-former Eagles teammates quickly commented, including Kelee Ringo, Avonte Maddox, Cooper DeJean, Nakobe Dean, Cameron Latu, and Fred Johnson. Comments ranged from emoji to well wishes, but all seemed to share the same sentiment of showing Brown some support. Other former teammates like Boston Scott, Jahan Dotson, and Kyzir White also commented, spreading the love for Brown.
Elsewhere, more of Brown’s former and future teammates — including Williams, who fits both categories — weighed in.
A couple of former Eagles players — Ike Reese and Brian Dawkins — also weighed in on the news shortly after it broke.
With time to prepare for this news, Reese, a former linebacker and current 94 WIP radio host, said he was “at peace” with the trade.
Meanwhile, Dawkins, the Hall of Fame safety, was hosting his charity golf tournament when the news broke, and says it’s time to turn the page, especially for the players inside the locker room.
“We’ve been hearing about it forever, right? So it’s here, it happened, move on. It’s time to move on,” Dawkins said. “I always put my mindset in my mindset as a player. It’s who walks through the door is who I’m going to war with, period. For anybody that’s not walking though the door anymore, go do your thing, may you have a successful career, but that does not change what we have to do in the building.”
» READ MORE: The A.J. Brown-Eagles timeline: Four years of big moments, impressive milestones ... and high drama
The news reached outside the world of football as well, as Philly boxer Danny Garcia also commented on Brown’s Instagram post: “Proud of you, bro.”
The second biggest news of the day
Despite being the highly anticipated trade of the day, Brown was upstaged by an even bigger deal: the Cleveland Browns trading Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and three draft picks, including a 2027 first-rounder. And fans and media members had a lot of thoughts on the irony of Brown’s big day being overshadowed.
‘Improper ending’
While many had already made peace with Brown’s departure, not everyone was ready for what the day had in store. Many believe Brown’s time in midnight green didn’t have to end this way. For others, there’s no love lost toward the team’s former WR1.
‘Forever a Super Bowl champ’
What’s done is done, though, and the majority of Eagles fans have shared the sentiment that no matter what, Brown will always be remembered as a part of a Super Bowl-winning team …