The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles might be discussing an AJ Brown trade for the next three or four years at this rate.
There have been countless reports about the possibility of trading the superstar receiver. When that didn’t happen before the NFL draft, everyone turned to the possibility of a post-June 1 blockbuster with the New England widely viewed as the most likely landing spot.
Yet, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the calendar flipping to June is no guarantee that anything gets done.
“Once you get past June 1, the window is basically open for whenever these two sides can get to a deal. I don’t get there’s a sense there’s a secret deal where they hit the button and say ‘OK go,'” Rapoport said May 22 on NFL Network. “They’re gonna have to negotiate, figure out a middle ground, to get A.J. Brown from the Eagles to the New England Patriots.
“Until then, as (Eagles general manager) Howie Roseman likes to say, he’s still a member of the Eagles.”
Patriots Still Viewed As Favorite for A.J. Brown Trade?
While the timeline remains uncertain, Rapoport did acknowledge what he and others have already noted: The Patriots are the favorite to trade for Brown, if Philadelphia decides to move on from the three-time Pro Bowler.
“It seems right now we’re still in a little bit of a waiting period with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, and of course, it should be reiterated that the Patriots seem like the most likely destination for A.J. Brown,” Rapoport said. “They have Mike Vrabel, they have a team that certainly has had plenty of talk with the Eagles over A.J. Brown.”
This comes on the heels of ESPN’s Adam Schefter making a similar statement, predicting the Patriots would acquire Brown before the season begins.
What’s Holding Up AJ Brown Trade Between Eagles, Patriots
Part of the reason for the stalemate is that neither team really needs to do anything right now. The Patriots probably feel like they don’t need to overpay. There’s been so much talk about a trade that Brown likely forgets he’s even an Eagle at this point. The trade feels inevitable.
Yet, even if Philly knows Brown is done for them, they also know how much the Patriots presumably would like to have him. As Rapoport noted, he and Vrabel are tight, dating back to their Tennessee Titans days. The Patriots also could use a game-changing talent to put them over the top, especially on the heels of a Super Bowl appearance and Drake Maye still on his rookie contract.
And without a deadline in sight, it might take a while.
“It just remains to be seen when they can get to a point where they’re in a good place on compensation,” Rapoport said. “Obviously the Philadelphia Eagles are going to want a first-round pick in 2027 … the Patriots would like to pay less.”
And while the stalemate could technically open the door for another team like the Jaguars, Rams or even the Chiefs to get involved, one Patriots insider isn’t sold on the market being there.
“When you start to hear other teams’ names lobbed into the fray, it does feel like somebody might be trying to conjure up some last-minute leverage,” NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry said on the Pats Chat Podcast. If you’re the Philadelphia Eagles, wouldn’t you love for people to think the Jacksonville Jaguars are maybe involved, or the Kansas City Chiefs or this team or that team?”
AJ Brown to Patriots? NFL Insider Addresses Potential ‘Secret Deal’