Most signs continue to point to the Philadelphia Eagles trading wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots this offseason. But Friday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport cast some doubt over when the trade might happen.
For several weeks, the assumption in NFL media has been the Eagles will deal Brown to New England after June 1. Philadelphia will have major cap savings by waiting to make the trade following that date.
Friday night, though, Rapoport reported the Eagles and Patriots aren’t simply waiting until June to execute the trade. The two teams are still negotiating, which could mean a trade doesn’t happen in June.
“Maybe [the Eagles] do plan to get rid of him, but it doesn’t have to be right now,” said Rapoport. “The Patriots would like to have him, but that doesn’t have to be right now.
“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 any secret deal where they hit the button and say ‘OK go.’ They’re gonna have to negotiate. They’re gonna have to figure out a middle ground.”
Rapoport stated the Eagles are seeking a 2027 first-round pick while the Patriots are trying to land Brown for less.
When Will Eagles Trade A.J. Brown to Patriots?
For much of the spring, the significant questions with the possible Brown trade to New England have been when and for what. Pundits have mostly treated the likelihood of a deal as a foregone conclusion.
NFL reporting and rumors have linked Brown and the Patriots together for months. The Eagles, though, appear highly motivated for the trade to happen after May.
Should the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they would accept a dead cap hit of $43.44 million according to Over the Cap. Brown’s dead cap hit drops to $16.35 million if traded on June 1 or later.
As Rapoport noted, though, after June 1, a trade can happen in early June, July or even later. Any trade with Brown following May results in the same cap hit.
So starting June 1, the receiver’s potential trade to New England becomes entirely about compensation.
“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,” said Rapoport. “They have Mike Vrabel, they have a team that certainly has had plenty of talk with the Eagles over A.J. Brown.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported in the middle of March the Los Angeles Rams explored potentially trading for Brown. According to Florio and Rapoport, though, the Rams are no longer interested.
Some pundits have urged the Las Vegas Raiders to pursue a deal for Brown. Others have floated the Jacksonville Jaguars as a potential destination.
Who Possesses the Leverage in the Eagles-Patriots Brown Trade Negotiations?
With the Eagles and Patriots seemingly waiting until June to make a Brown trade, the Eagles may be trying to create trade leverage.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on his podcast this past week Philadelphia radio has suggested the Rams or Jaguars are serious contenders for Brown. With those reports coming out of Philadelphia, though, it’s possible the Eagles are trying to create the allusion Brown has other suitors to raise his price.
Whether that’s true or not, one thing appears clear — a Brown trade to New England doesn’t appear set from a compensation standpoint.
In the meantime, debate about whether Brown is really worth a first-rounder will continue. Of course, the Eagles think he is. From 2022-24, he certainly was. During that 3-year stint, Brown posted three straight second-team All-Pro campaigns.
But Brown will turn 29 in June. He also wasn’t as productive in 2025. Brown posted 78 receptions, 1,003 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.
Obviously, if Brown trade negotiations linger, a deal won’t come as soon as the June 1 date passes.
Eagles’ A.J. Brown Update Provides Potential New Trade Timeline