Current and ex-Eagles players react to blockbuster A.J. Brown trade; star wanted a fresh start; Birds add another WR
The Birds will get the Patriots' 2028 first-round pick and a fifth rounder in the 2027 draft.
The Eagles are trading A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth rounder.
The A.J. Brown-Eagles timeline: Four years of big moments, impressive milestones ... and high drama
Columnist Marcus Hayes says good riddance to the "superdiva wideout," writing that Brown's talents couldn’t compensate for all of the headaches.
DeVonta Smith won’t replace A.J. Brown, writes columnist David Murphy. The question is whether the Eagles will need him to.
In other NFL news, the Browns are trading Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster deal.
A.J. Brown wanted a fresh start, Howie Roseman said
The Eagles and A.J. Brown had "positive" conversations after the 2025 season ended, Howie Roseman said, but Monday's end result, Brown being traded to the New England Patriots, was a long time coming.
"I think he just felt for his family, at this stage of his career, it was something that he was desiring, that he was looking to do," Roseman said in a call with Eagles beat writers less than an hour after the deal became official.
"I think that, again, the conversations with him, overall, were positive. I think it just kind of got to a point where it made some sense from both sides."
A.J. Brown's remarkable era in Philly
'It’s time to move on': Current and former Eagles react to A.J. Brown trade
A.J. Brown's current and former teammates have 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.
On Instagram, Brown posted a thank you message to Eagles fans, before posting a photo of himself as a kid in a Patriots jersey.
A.J. Brown's number will change with the Patriots
How do the Eagles view their receiving corps with A.J. Brown gone?
The domino effect is on. A.J. Brown leaving the depth chart makes DeVonta Smith the No. 1 receiver for the Eagles.
Howie Roseman spent the offseason preparing for Brown's departure. The Eagles drafted Makai Lemon in the first round, traded with Green Bay for Dontayvion Wicks, and signed veteran free agents.
How does Roseman view the receiving group with Brown gone?
A.J. Brown thanks Philly in Instagram post
Shorty after the news became official that A.J. Brown had been traded to the New England Patriots, the now-former Eagles wide receiver shared a message of thanks on Instagram addressed to fans, his teammates, coaches, and all the employees in the Jefferson Health Training Complex.
The first slide was an image of Brown in an Eagles uniform with his hands in the shape of a heart. The second was white text over a black background that read:
"Eagles nation,
Why didn't the Eagles get a 2027 first-round pick for Brown?
Why did the Eagles get a 2028 pick instead of a 2027 pick? The June 1 timeline had a little bit to do with it, Howie Roseman said.
"For us to take a 2026 pick that’s a late first-round pick and also have to deal with the cap consequences that come with making a trade prior to June 1, it made some sense for us to look at future picks," Roseman said. "We do scout future drafts, not just the ‘26 draft. For us, we’ve always been in the mindset that a pick is a pick. A first-round pick is a first-round pick. It doesn’t matter. Teams are still going to be playing football in 2028."
Roseman pointed to the Haason Reddick trade in which the Eagles acquired a future conditional pick. The Eagles now have two first-round picks in 2028.
Patriots celebrate landing A.J. Brown
Eagles trade A.J. Brown to the Patriots for two draft picks
The Eagles are moving on from A.J. Brown, agreeing to trade the star receiver to the New England Patriots, the teams announced on Monday.
Pending Brown’s physical, the Eagles are receiving a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Brown, who turns 29 later this month, had been Jalen Hurts’ top weapon in the passing game since the Eagles acquired him from the Tennessee Titans in a draft-night trade in 2022. But Brown had expressed his frustration with his role within the offense – and the offense itself – at various points throughout the 2025 season, both in public comments and via social media.
A stolen car, talking on WIP, and Swole Batman: A.J. Brown's best off-field moments
A.J. Brown, through his four years with the Eagles, has given fans more than a few memorable moments, even if some have been clouded by Brown’s tendency to make his frustration with the team public. With the Eagles expected to deal the wideout to the New England Patriots sometime Monday, let’s take a trip down memory lane and recount some of those times that didn’t take place on the football field …
After winning the Super Bowl, Brown brought the Lombardi Trophy to a hospital visit to 10-year-old Andre “Tre” Howard III, who was severely injured during the Northeast Philadelphia plane crash
Inner Excellence author Jim Murphy became a star in Philadelphia overnight and a New York Times bestseller after Brown read his self-help book on the sideline of an Eagles game.
Brown briefly became known as Swole Batman — a moniker that was given by former Eagles defensive back Darius Slay. Brown, who was part of a trio alongside “Skinny Batman” DeVonta Smith and “Fast Batman” Quez Watkins, even wore a cape on the sidelines.
He didn’t need the caped crusader to help solve the case of his stolen car. After Brown first offered to not press charges if the thief returned his missing Mercedes, police found the card in Camden, returned it to Brown, and arrested the suspect.
During the 2024 season, with the Eagles in the midst of a 1-4 skid, Brown organized a team trip to an escape room. He joked that experience made him “claustrophobic”
He called into 94 WIP to complain about the way local media covers him, calling the station’s analysts his “biggest haters”
Brown “felt bad” for throwing Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee’s first career touchdown pass into the Lincoln Financial Field crowd. After the fan returned the ball, Brown gave him a signed jersey.
He posted a 9-minute, 8-second video on Instagram, advocating for mental health awareness after Vikings receiver Rondale Moore took his own life.
He displayed his unwashed Super Bowl uniform on a life-sized mannequin and was promptly roasted on social media by teammates, including former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
Brown employed Grammy Award winner and University of Pennsylvania alumnus John Legend to help out with his proposal. Legend performed his love ballad “All of Me” to Brown’s longtime girlfriend Kelsey Riley while the Eagles wideout got down on one knee. The couple was recently married.
In a viral video, Brown bought candy from a kid in Miami before giving him the funds needed for a new Playstation.
— Conor Smith
Browns to trade Myles Garrett to Rams in blockbuster deal: reports
So much for dreams of Myles Garrett wearing Eagles green.
The Cleveland Browns are trading Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster deal for star edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and more, according to multiple reports.
"Nothing is final at this point," Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters Monday afternoon. "We are in discussions of a potential transaction including him. I'll have a lot more to say about it once it is final, if it does become final."
Odell Beckham Jr. returning to the Giants
While Eagles fans are patiently waiting for news on the A.J. Brown front, another wideout is making headlines in the NFC East: Odell Beckham Jr.
On Monday, the New York Giants announced Beckham was returning to the team with whom he first found stardom more than a decade ago.
Beckham was drafted in the first round by the Giants in 2014, breaking out in his rookie season for 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. That year, the offensive rookie of the year also made a now-iconic, one-handed grab against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, which helped catapult him to one of the NFL’s most marketable stars at the time.
Ahead of expected trade, A.J. Brown deletes his X account
With social media abuzz discussing A.J. Brown’s looming trade, one voice is noticeably absent – Brown himself. The Eagles wideout has seemingly deactivated his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Brown’s account (@1kalwaysopen_) and its posts are no longer visible on the platform. It is not known the exact time and date Brown deactivated his account, but its absence was first noticed on Sunday.
This does not mean that Brown’s account is gone forever, though. X gives users 30 days to access one’s account after deactivation, so Brown has the option to rejoin the platform if he wishes.
Eagles sign former Packers WR Samori Toure
On a day the Eagles are expected to trade one wide receiver they signed another.
The Birds added former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure Monday, the team announced.
Toure, a seventh-round pick in 2022, was with the Packers for one training camp with new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who was an offensive assistant in Green Bay during his first year coaching in 2024.
ESPN's Adam Schefter expects A.J. Brown trade to happen today
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter expects the Eagles and Patriots to hash out a deal today that would send A.J. Brown to New England.
And he expects it to happen sooner rather than later.
"I would think the trade occurs sometime within the next 24 hours," Schefter said on Get Up Monday morning.
Eagles might only get one draft pick in return for A.J. Brown
If the return for A.J. Brown is straight up a 2028 first round draft pick — and from what I understand, that is the case — then it would come two draft cycles after the parameters of a deal between the Eagles and New England Patriots were likely set.
That’s quite a drop in compensation if the initial asking price, as I had heard it, was a first and a second rounder. Some of that seemed posturing.
But the Los Angeles Rams were really the only other serious suitor. Brown was coming off a down season, has medical concerns with his knees, and requires some maintenance off the field. He’s also still highly regarded around the league and has many who vouch for his character and leadership.
Ex-Eagles defender Darius Slay on 'a sad day'
Latest on A.J. Brown trade talks
It appears the expectation around the NFL is the Eagles will trade A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots sometime after 4 p.m. today.
Last month, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Brown trade "was still tracking to happen on or after June 1." And the Eagles traded up in the first round of this year's draft to take USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, all but signaling Brown's exit from the team was imminent.
"The dominoes signaling his exit have been toppling for weeks, if not months, and Lemon’s selection was just the latest before the mercurial receiver is dealt to the Patriots — or some late entry who might join what has mostly been a two-partner dance — on or around June 1," Jeff McLane wrote in April.
A.J. Brown is actually a good fit for the Patriots
Why is the June 1 deadline important for A.J. Brown?
Across the NFL, June 1 is a mostly boring deadline for teams to get their financial books in order and send tenders to unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer.
You may have seen players released as a “post-June 1 release," such as Tua Tagovailoa and Kirk Cousins. That basically means the dead cap hit that a team has to take on a player's salary can be spread over two seasons instead of one, all thanks to a 2006 rule change.
There is no similar mechanism to make a "post-June 1 trade," which is one reason A.J. Brown remains a member of the Eagles. If the Birds would have traded him before today, they would've been on the hook for $43.5 million in dead salary cap space in 2026, according to Spotrac.
If A.J. Brown is traded, will the Eagles need DeVonta Smith to replace him?
DeVonta Smith will be the Eagles’ WR1.
But will he be a WR1?
It’s not just a question.
What could the Eagles get back in an A.J. Brown trade?
Trade proposal: The Patriots’ 2027 first- and second-round picks in exchange for Brown
This return would likely be the ideal for the Eagles. It’s the same return that the Green Bay Packers received for Davante Adams when they traded him to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 (both picks were also in 2022, as the trade occurred before the draft). At the time, Adams was 29 years old and had posted over 1,000 receiving yards in three of his last four seasons. Similarly, Brown turns 29 in June and has eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons with the Eagles since he was traded from the Tennessee Titans in 2022.
But there are other factors at play with A.J. Brown that may impact the Eagles’ ability to get the same haul the Packers received for Adams. In 2022, Adams was coming off the best year of his career, posting over 1,500 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Brown had a relatively down season in 2025, finishing with 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. Plus, while Adams didn’t exactly have a clean bill of health after eight years in the league, he didn’t have a long-term knee issue like Brown reportedly does.