Patriots blockbuster trade for star wide receiver feels like worst-kept secret in the NFL as real reason for delay becomes obvious
Patriots and Eagles have essentially agreed to a trade that will send A.J. Brown to New England, but they have to wait until June 2 for salary cap reasons.
It sounds like a matter of time before A.J. Brown becomes a member of the New England Patriots. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel are close to pulling the trigger on a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, but it won’t happen before the draft.
Why the trade will only happen in June
Delaying the trade makes sense for both sides. For the Eagles, it’s a way to circumvent the salary cap. After June 1, the acceleration of prorated parts of Brown’s deal won’t happen before 2027. So instead of taking $43.5 million in dead money this season, the Eagles will only handle $16.35 million this year, clearing up more than $7 million against the cap — the remaining $27.15 million in dead money will hit the Eagles’ cap in 2027.
For the Patriots, delaying the trade is also a positive, because it means the team won’t involve 2026 draft picks as part of the compensation. Sure, it seems like the 2027 class is better — but the Patriots are in a stage of their roster-building process where getting young players in the building as soon as possible and transforming the capital into actual roster improvement is key.
Making the trade after June won’t affect how much money the Patriots will pay A.J. Brown. The star receiver is set to earn $29 million in 2026, $21 million in 2027, $32 million in 2028, and $31 million in 2029. The Patriots could still easily adjust those numbers or restructure the deal to lower the initial cap hit. But with $35.7 million in cap space and $31.5 million in effective cap space at the moment, the Patriots are in position to absorb Brown’s contract without any extra move.
A.J. Brown is still a high-level receiver
Even if it felt like A.J. Brown had a down year for the Eagles last season, he is still a star player — and performs like it. Brown had 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns last season, surpassing two yards per route run and 100 in passer rating when targeted.
The Patriots are making sure they put enough weapons around All-Pro quarterback Drake Maye during his rookie contract. This offseason, the team also signed Romeo Doubs in free agency — the roster has Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism, Mack Hollins, John Jiles, and Jeremiah Webb at the position as well.