The long-awaited A.J. Brown trade is finally in the books. The New England Patriots landed their new star wide receiver, while the Philadelphia Eagles landed a 2028 first-round pick and and 2027 fifth-round pick.
Now that the trade is in the books, Jeff Howe of The Athletic broke down the trade and handed out grades to both teams. That started with a “B” grade for the Patriots.
“The first-rounder is a steep price, regardless of how long it’ll take to come off the books, because it’s reasonable to be somewhat skeptical of Brown’s staying power. Brown, who turns 29 at the end of the month, has played a rampaging style of football for a long time, so there’s got to be concern about his durability after a drop in both production and availability over the past two seasons,” Howe wrote.
“Brown also hit a similar valley in his final two seasons with the Titans before the trade to Philly yielded the two most productive seasons of his career. Maybe the Patriots get a similar bump from Brown, who will absolutely be motivated to prove himself once again. Brown is intrinsically wired to find all sorts of ways for self-motivation, so a big season in 2026 almost feels inevitable, health permitting.”
A.J. Brown is coming off what would be regarded as a down season by his All-Pro standards. He had 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns. Those were the fewest yards he’s had in a season since 2021, when he only played in 13 games.
“If Brown is healthy and productive relative to his standards, the Patriots will be ecstatic. They’d ideally like the good times to continue through at least 2028 when the Eagles are using the Patriots’ first-round pick. Because, again, it’d be fair to expect a successful stretch of several years for the compensation,” Howe wrote.
The Athletic Has the Philadelphia Eagles Winning the A.J. Brown Trade
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
On the other side of the A.J. Brown trade are the Philadelphia Eagles. After much debate about the kind of return the New England Patriots would send for Brown, it ended up being two picks, including a 2028 first-round pick that had become hotly debated.
Howe and The Athletic gave the Eagles a “B+” grade. That narrowly edged out the Patriots and came down to the value they received and how they’ve prepared for the trade.
“The Eagles had to move ahead without Brown, and they probably needed an offensive identity adjustment anyway. They’ve already planned for the succession, drafting Makai Lemon in the first round and trading for Dontayvion Wicks to complement DeVonta Smith. Of course, the heart of the Eagles’ offense must come through superstar running back Saquon Barkley and the ground game, along with improved line play, so that figures to be a more pressing matter while Philly experiments with the new personnel at receiver,” Howe wrote.
“The Eagles were never going to get auction-style compensation for Brown. There wasn’t a ton of interest around the NFL due to the Eagles’ early price tag that included a 2026 first-rounder, according to league sources. Combined with concern about Brown’s long-term durability, there weren’t many suitors willing to pay what it took to secure the veteran receiver.”
A.J. Brown Reacts to Being Traded to the Patriots
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
Shortly after the news broke that A.J. Brown had been traded to the Patriots, he took to social media. There, Brown shared a heartfelt goodbye with the Eagles and the city of Philadelphia.
“EAGLES NATION, THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING MY FAMILY AND ME WITH OPEN ARMS FROM DAY ONE. THIS CITY, THIS LOCKER ROOM, AND THIS FAN BASE WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART. TO MY BROTHERS IN THAT LOCKER ROOM – THANK YOU FOR GOING TO BATTLE WITH ME EVERY SINGLE DAY. THE MEMORIES WE MADE TOGETHER, ON AND OFF THE FIELD, ARE SOMETHING I’LL CARRY WITH ME FOREVER,” Brown wrote, using all caps.
“TO THE COACHING STAFF, TRAINERS, EQUIPMENT STAFF, CAFETERIA WORKERS, AND THE CLEANING CREW – THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO BEHIND THE SCENES TO KEEP US GOING. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO GO OUT THERE AND COMPETE, AND I’M GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU. PLAYING FOR THIS CITY HAS BEEN AN HONOR, AND I’M THANKFUL FOR EVERY MOMENT I HAD IN MIDNIGHT GREEN. THANK YOU, PHILLY. MUCH LOVE ALWAYS. GOD BLESS.”
Now, Brown will turn his attention to New England. There, the Patriots hope he can have similar success to what he found in Philadelphia.
Patriots Receive Interesting Grade on A.J. Brown Trade With Eagles