Latest A.J. Brown report confirms common suspicion on his long-term future with the Eagles
What will the Eagles do with WR A.J. Brown? Is his future truly in New England with Mike Vrabel? Here is the latest.
The Philadelphia Eagles have the 2026 NFL Draft on their mind right now. Even then, that hasn’t stopped a flurry of reports around wide receiver A.J. Brown, quarterback Jalen Hurts, and even their plans in the first round.
Accordingly, the most intriguing update on a possible A.J. Brown trade may be a nugget revealed in a recent article from The Athletic.
NFL execs expect A.J. Brown will be traded to Patriots via latest update
In a piece revealing some thoughts from executives around the league, a tidbit regarding the New England Patriots was prominent for the Eagles. Mike Sando of The Athletic noted that execs (plural) expect the Birds to trade their top wideout to New England in a post-June 1 move.
“Execs expect the Patriots to acquire receiver A.J. Brown from Philadelphia in June, once the salary-cap implications become more tenable for the Eagles. They disagree over what Romeo Doubs adds at the position on a deal worth $17 million per year, which ranks 27th among receivers.” — Mike Sando, The Athletic
Philadelphia would incur a $43.4 million dead cap hit by moving off Brown before June 1, so that scenario has always been unlikely.
On the flip-side, a trade after June 1 would have a dead cap hit of just $16.4 million (according to Over the Cap).
This sort of response from inside the league shouldn’t shock anyone. Reports have not been crystal clear regarding Brown’s future, but there have been many hinting at a vibe around the league that he will get dealt before the offseason concludes.
The reunion opportunity
Add in the fact that the Eagles and Patriots are reportedly expected to have joint practices later this year. This would be an excellent opportunity for a reunion afterwards, if Brown is dealt to New England.
“Vrabel and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni have had preliminary discussions about the possibility of having the teams practice together in the preseason — likely in Foxborough, according to a league source.
Part of that would be tied to the NFL granting the teams’ request to face each other in the preseason, which isn’t usually a major hurdle. If it happens, the atmosphere and competition at the newly named New Balance Practice Fields would be buzzing.” — Mike Reiss, ESPN
Dominoes are still standing when it comes to this trade that many people clearly think will occur. It won’t include 2026 draft compensation, and the 2027 NFL Draft will be nearly a year away if it gets done around the start of June.
With that in mind, what does the compensation package look like? Do the Eagles land a future first-round pick? Could a player be involved coming from New England to Philly?
Even with this updates, there are still plenty of avenues left to consider when it comes to a potential A.J. Brown-Patriots deal for the Eagles. We will see how it all shakes out.
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