June 1 is finally here, and the deal is now officially done.
After weeks of speculation, with new and contrasting reports coming out daily, the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles have come to an agreement.
ESPN reports that the Eagles have traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pic.
The Patriots were the most obvious landing spot for the three-time Pro Bowl receiver, with rumors first starting after Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters in February that he “can’t guarantee” Brown would be with the organization when the 2026 season begins. And that’s when the wheels started turning, with many interested in seeing a reunion between Brown and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Plus, if last year’s season showed one main thing, New England needs a true top receiver, and that would immediately be Brown in the event of a trade.
The reason why the Eagles waited until June 1 is due to the massive financial cap penalty they would have to take on. They would have had a $43 million dead cap hit, but instead, they can separate it over two seasons with only a $16.4 million hit in 2026.
Here’s What Patriots Players Have Said Recently About Potential A.J. Brown Trade
GettyA.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles hugs head coach Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans after the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 04, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
DT Milton Williams: “Great dude. Monster on the field. Great in the locker room, holding guys accountable and holding himself accountable. I feel like that’s everything you want in a player of his caliber.”
QB Drake Maye: “I think that’s part of the NFL. They throw names around every team depending [on] whoever looks best in the graphic and the jersey on social media. I’m really just focused—we’ve got some new guys here that I’m working with and I know that there’s a lot of talk with that. If he ends up being on our team, great. What a great player. And if he doesn’t, we’ve still got to work with these guys here. So it’s a tough balance, but I know he’s a phenomenal player.”
WR DeMario Douglas: “If he comes, that would be amazing. Good guy. I follow him on Instagram to see what he does. He’s a ballplayer.”
RB Rhamondre Stevenson: “I think he’d do a lot. He’s a great player, obviously. One of the best receivers in the league. That’s above what we do. I just leave it up to the front office. I know they’re going to get people here that will help us win.”
Another Major Trade Happened on June 1
Bombshell: The #Browns are finalizing a trade of Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the #Rams in a shocker, sources tell me, @TomPelissero & @AdamSchefter.
Cleveland would send Garrett to LA in exchange for star edge Jared Verse, a first-rounder, and more.
Just hours before the 4 p.m. deadline hit, another blockbuster trade happened.
The Cleveland Browns traded star Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for edge Jared Verse, a 2027 1st-round, a 2028 2nd round, and a 2029 3rd round pick according to NFL Insiders Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and Tom Pelissero.
However, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ryan Fowler, the Eagles also showed an interest in acquiring Garrett, with it being desriped as “more than exploratory.” And with that, “Jalen Carter was a name that arose in talks.”
BREAKING: Eagles Trade Star WR A.J. Brown To Patriots