The wait and speculation are over: A.J. Brown is a New England Patriot.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots have agreed to send a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick that is the better of New England’s two fifths to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the Pro Bowl wideout.
New England had long been viewed as Brown's most likely landing spot this offseason. The primary obstacle was Philadelphia’s salary cap situation. Had the Eagles traded Brown before June 1, they would have absorbed $43.5 million in dead money in 2026. By waiting until after June 1, Philadelphia can now spread that cap hit across the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Brown was originally selected by Mike Vrabel's Tennessee Titans in the second round (51st overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft and spent his first three NFL seasons playing under the Patriots' new head coach before being traded to the Eagles during the 2022 NFL Draft. During his four seasons in Philadelphia, Brown helped lead the Eagles to two Super Bowl appearances and a championship.
After months of hearing it could happen, the Philadelphia Eagles have officially traded A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots!@richkented @KenLairdWEEI @teddyjradio @heyrichhey @WEEI#NewEnglandPatriots, #Football, #NFL, #AJBrown pic.twitter.com/xFRralQU2y
— WEEI (@WEEI) June 1, 2026
The star receiver, who grew up a Patriots fan and once revealed that he cried in a closet when New England selected N'Keal Harry instead of him in the 2019 draft, has remained in contact with Vrabel over the years.
“I think the relationship with players - and specifically, you asked about A.J. - has meant a lot,” Vrabel said, speaking 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 he is]. And that has nothing to do with where he plays and or where he played. So those are the things that are important.
“You know, we reach out and text each other during the things that happen, good to each other. And sometimes things don't go so well for the people that you're close with, and you text [about] those as well. So it's been a two-way street of support, and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.”
The Mississippi product, who turns 29 on June 30, arrives in New England as one of the NFL's premier wide receivers. Brown has topped 1,000 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons, including each of the last four, and ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2019.
The Patriots have spent years searching for a true No. 1 receiver.
Last season, Stefon Diggs became the franchise's first 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman's 1,117-yard campaign in 2019, but he was released in March. The Patriots now hope Brown, who is under contract through the 2029 season, can provide a long-term answer at the position. New England has not had 1,000-yard receivers in consecutive seasons since Julian Edelman in 2016 and Rob Gronkowski in 2017.
Brown joins Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas and Efton Chism III in a revamped receiving room as Drake Maye looks to build on a breakout 2025 season in which he completed a league-best 72.0 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading the NFL in both passer rating (113.5) and QBR (77.1) on his way to Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
