Ever since the NFL offseason began, it felt like a matter of when, not if, A.J. Brown would be traded to the New England Patriots. As many expected, the Philadelphia Eagles just wanted to wait until June to get a deal done. The Eagles and Patriots officially pulled the trigger on a deal on Monday, with the superstar receiver heading to the defending AFC Champions and draft pick compensation coming to Philadelphia. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport broke the details.
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— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 1, 2026
At last: The #Eagles are trading star WR AJ Brown to the #Patriots, per The Insiders.
It’s a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick going to Philly, as Brown reunites with coach Mike Vrabel. One of the NFL’s longest runnings sagas ends with a splash. pic.twitter.com/WCXJqEA5x7
Brown was traded in exchange for a 2028 first-rounder and a 2027 fifth-rounder. This wasn't a Myles Garrett-type of earth-shattering trade, but anytime a proven star and a first-round pick are involved in a deal, it's a blockbuster. It feels like a win-win, with one side winning by a slight margin.
Patriots trade grade: A
In Brown, the Patriots acquire the high-end wide receiver they lacked in their Super Bowl run last season. The 2025 season was his worst in his four years in Philadelphia, yet he still racked up 1,003 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. If he was able to do that while clearly unhappy and dealing with inconsistent quarterback play, what can he do on a team he wants to be on, reunited with his former head coach from his Tennessee Titans days, Mike Vrabel, and with the reigning MVP runner-up, Drake Maye, as his quarterback?
I get that Brown will be 29 years old by the end of this month and has a decent amount of tread on his tires, but he has the ability to be a true difference-maker for a Patriots team with Super Bowl aspirations. I mean, New England's best wideout last season was 32-year-old Stefon Diggs, who remains a free agent after the Patriots released him earlier this offseason. Now, the Patriots have Brown and Romeo Doubs, whom the team signed in free agency.
The Patriots are trying to win now, and while a first-round pick is a fairly steep price to pay, this deal puts them in a position to get back to, and perhaps win, the Super Bowl. One Super Bowl win makes this deal immediately worthwhile.
Eagles trade grade: B+
As for Philadelphia, they get rid of a player who has been nothing but a headache over the past year. Brown has made it clear that he was not thrilled with his standing in the Eagles' offense, and as great a player as he is, it's hard to keep anyone who is that disgruntled. For Brown to make it clear that he was unhappy and Howie Roseman to still find a way to acquire a first-round pick makes this a clear win for Philadelphia.
Even without Brown, Philadelphia still has DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon, and landing a first-round pick gives the Eagles some flexibility. Now that they traded Brown, and did so after June 1, saving them a boatload of money, the Eagles have room to perhaps move that first-rounder or another asset for a different receiver, or just let Smith and Lemon catch the majority of Jalen Hurts passes.
The team objectively got worse skill-wise by parting with Brown, but will that show in their record, considering the distraction Brown wound up becoming? Getting rid of Brown could lead to Hurts and others stepping up. That, plus the Eagles getting a first-round pick, sounds pretty good.
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