For months, the New England Patriots have been linked to a trade for Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown. And in less than 24 hours, we could finally receive some clarity on Brown’s trade saga, as the overarching expectation is that he will land with the Pats at some point this upcoming week.
The Eagles have opted to hold off on trading Brown until after June 1 in order to spread his cap hit over the next two seasons, saving them around $20 million in cap space for the upcoming 2026 campaign. And unless another team unexpectedly emerges as a suitor for Brown, the Patriots are pretty much bidding against themselves at this point. With that being said, it sounds like the expected price that it will cost the team to acquire Brown has been revealed.
Patriots Expected to Give Up 2028 First-Round Pick for A.J. Brown
After a frustrating season with the Eagles, Brown has been trending towards getting traded for quite some time now. Initially, Brown was one of the hottest commodities on the trade market, but suitors began dropping like flies for one reason or another, leaving the Pats as the last team standing, for all intents and purposes.
It’s not too hard to see why New England makes sense as a landing spot for Brown. They desperately need more help at the wide receiver position, even after signing Romeo Doubs in free agency. Beyond that, Brown has experience playing for head coach Mike Vrabel, as the two previously spent time together with the Tennessee Titans.
The timing of Philadelphia’s aforementioned salary cap conundrum has led to this saga dragging on for months, and with no other mystery suitor emerging like it would have hoped, that leaves a trade with New England as the only real avenue for the Eagles. They aren’t just going to give him up for free, though, as NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom suggested that the team is going to get a nice return for the three-time All-Pro.
“One general manager, who is not involved in the process but has been in contact with several parties who are, said: ‘I hear it’s New England for a 2028 first-round pick. He’s a good football player, but that’s a helluva deal for (Eagles GM) Howie (Roseman),'” La Canfora reported.
Should the Patriots Give Up a 2028 First-Round Pick for A.J. Brown?
GettyAnonymous NFL executives debate if a first-round pick is fair compensation for the Patriots to send to the Eagles for A.J. Brown.
At his best, Brown is one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, so Philadelphia is obviously going to charge a hard bargain for his services. New England is fresh off a Super Bowl run, though, and it needs more help on offense. Giving up a first-round pick is a steep price to pay, yes, but these are the sort of moves you make when you have a talent like Drake Maye at the quarterback position.
If the Patriots play as well as they believe they can, the value of this 2028 first-round pick would decrease, which would make this an even bigger win for the team. N.E. has the assets to acquire Brown, and it is a legitimate Super Bowl threat. The price is high, but this is what good teams need to do in order to maximize their championship window, which is why the Pats need to bring this deal across the finish line as soon as possible.
Insider Reveals Price Patriots Are Expected to Pay in A.J. Brown Trade