Patriots acquire Eagles WR A.J. Brown in blockbuster trade

Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald on Jun 1, 2026

Published in Football

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The talks, rumors, reports and waiting are all over.

A.J. Brown is a New England Patriot.

The Patriots have agreed to acquire Brown in a trade with the Eagles, the teams announced. The deal will send a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the three-time Pro Bowler, according to multiple reports.

Brown becomes Drake Maye’s new No. 1 receiver, a player who’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons. Brown’s arrival follows months of speculation he would be traded to New England, where he will now reunite with coach Mike Vrabel after their shared time together in Tennessee.

The Patriots had interest in trading for Brown dating back to the start of the offseason. His addition vaults them near, if not back to, the top of the AFC after a surprise Super Bowl run last season. Brown also fills a longstanding need as an outside receiver who can draw extra attention and create explosive plays.

Brown, 28, leaves Philadelphia after being displeased with his production and the performance of the Eagles’ offense, which has employed five different coordinators in as many years. He caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Brown set career highs with 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022, then a personal-best 106 catches in 2023. He made the All-Pro second team both years and in 2024 when he caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown during a Super Bowl win.

Prior to being traded to Philadelphia during the 2022 draft, Brown developed a strong bond with Vrabel, who reportedly objected to the trade as the Titans’ head coach. The two remained in contact, as Vrabel explained during his press conference at the NFL scouting combine in February.

“I’ve watched him grow. I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband. That has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. Those are the things that are important,” Vrabel said. “We reach out and text each other during the good things that happen to each other. Sometimes things don’t go so well for the people that you’re close with, and you text for those, as well. It’s a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.”

Brown is under contract through 2029. The Eagles signed him to a three-year contract extension in June 2024, making him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL at that time. Salary cap considerations, including a dead cap hit north of $40 million, incentivized Philadelphia to wait until after June 1 to make a deal. Trading Brown now leaves around $16 million in dead cap on their books and actually creates cap space.

In New England, the 6-foot-1, 226-pounder tops a wide receiver chart featuring free-agent addition Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism III and 2026 undrafted free agents Kyle Dixon, Cameron Dorner, Jimmy Kibble and Nick DeGennaro. Brown has been open about his childhood love of the Patriots, even as a Mississippi native who went to college at Ole Miss. He revealed early in his career that he cried after the Patriots did not draft him in 2019, when they instead opted for N’Keal Harry with the 32nd overall pick.

Brown eventually came off the board early in the second round at No. 51 overall. He led the Titans in receiving as a rookie with 1,051 yards and reached the AFC championship game under Vrabel. Brown recently admitted he did not like Vrabel early in his career, though he came to appreciate his coach’s demanding, hard-nosed style.

“(Vrabel) is the type of coach who’s going to call on you in the meetings,” Brown explained on Julian Edelman’s “Dudes on Dudes” podcast. “He’s going to make sure you’re staying engaged and go over the keys of victory of the week. You better know the keys to victory like the back of your hand.”

Vrabel deflected this offseason whenever he was asked about a potential Brown trade, saying last week, “Again, we always — and when I say we, that includes Eliot [Wolf], Ryan [Cowden] and Stretch [John Streicher], the coaching staff. We want to continue to improve the roster every opportunity that we get. And when those opportunities arise — I don’t know.”

The Patriots will welcome the Eagles for joint training camp practices this summer in Foxboro.