Even after it was reported by Adam Schefter before the NFL Draft that Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown will likely be traded to the New England Patriots after June 1st, questions have hung in the air. That includes the chance he isn’t traded at all or another team gets in on the mix.
Then, over the weekend, Brown held a youth camp in Allentown. There, he was quoted as saying, “I love you all. I don’t care what you hear out there.” Meanwhile, his son started a chant for the Eagles. Unsurprisingly, this show of love has added to the rumor mill.
Amid all of this speculation, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter appeared on The Pat McAfee Show. There, he had a bold claim that Brown already knows where he’ll play in 2026.
“I think he knows where his future is headed at this moment,” Schefter teased.
The not-so-secret public rumor has been that Brown will be with the Patriots in 2026. Schefter himself reported that it will likely be New England. So, unless Schefter knows something new, this would seem like a good sign for Patriots fans.
Adam Schefter Believes the Philadelphia Eagles Will Trade A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown
During Adam Schefter’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he was asked about the camp that A.J. Brown held. It was framed as seeming like the beginning of a breakup between Brown and the team, where he wanted the fans to know it wasn’t their fault.
“I think he knows where his future is headed at this moment,” Schefter said. “And it will be a matter of the Patriots and the Eagles getting together to basically process the trade, finalize the trade, make sure it happens. Again, there’s nothing that has transpired here, despite all the events in New England, that has deterred this trade from coming off. I still think it’s on track. I still think it’s going to happen.”
That’s more than good news for Patriots fans on the Brown front. Now, it’s a matter of the price, which Schefter still thinks will come down to a first-round pick.
“I still think it will involve a future [first-round pick], likely a 2028 first-round draft pick. I still think all these elements are in place,” Schefter said. “And I still think that once we get to June that these two sides will get together and complete a trade that will send A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots.”
There is Debate About the Cost of A.J. Brown
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown
Throughout the offseason, Adam Schefter has been adamant that the cost for A.J. Brown is going to be a first-round pick. It’s just a matter of what year that pick comes, 2027 or 2028. Despite that, not everyone agrees with Schefter.
Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston, for instance, argued that it’s going to be more of a second-round package. The logic behind that is tied to Brown’s age and how clearly he’s made it that he wants to leave Philadelphia. It’s also the trade package that the Patriots would prefer to pay for Brown.
Perry isn’t alone either. Rueben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia agreed, making for a compelling case with writers from both cities arguing for the trade to involve a second-round package.
Patriots Get the Latest Update on Trade Target A.J. Brown From Adam Schefter