Whether he realizes it or not, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel added smoke to the A.J. Brown trade rumor fire while speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday in Indianapolis, IN.
When asked about his relationship with the former All-Pro receiver, currently under contract with the Eagles, Vrabel didn’t shy away from acknowledging that the two have remained in touch over the years, as Vrabel was Brown’s first head coach at the pro level with the Titans from 2019 to 2021.
“I think the relationship with players - and specifically, you asked about A.J. - has meant a lot,” Vrabel said at the podium. “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 link between Vrabel and Brown has been discussed in New England since the first week the Patriots Hall of Fame linebacker was hired as head coach by the organization.
In January of 2025, here’s what Vrabel said during his first interview with The Greg Hill Show about Brown, who just a few days before was seen reading a book on the sidelines in a playoff game for the Eagles.
“I think AJ is just trying to find ways to release - I'm proud of his development, his personal development, and working on himself and working on getting back to center," Vrabel told the WEEI crew. "He’s a passionate player, I love him to death, and I have a very, very close relationship with him.”
Fast forward to February of 2026, and the lovefest between Brown and Vrabel through interviews continued - this time coming from Brown.
After telling Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski on their “Dudes on Dudes” podcast that he used to hate-doodle Vrabel’s name in his notes during team meetings, he went on to show his love and appreciation for his former head coach.
“He holds every single player accountable from top to bottom, I don’t care who it is,” Brown told the pair of former Patriots. “That’s who he is, and it makes the team come together because nobody’s bigger than the program. You have to respect it. I’m so excited for him. He deserves this opportunity.”
Even with Brown’s love for Vrabel, along with his admission on the podcast that he grew up a diehard Patriots fan, the 28-year-old being moved to New England to play for his favorite coach and favorite team isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Brown is under contract with the Eagles until 2030. A trade before June 1 would hit the Eagles with a staggering $43.5 million dead cap hit, and a post-June 1 move would drop that figure to a more manageable, yet still steep, $16.4 million.
Even with Brown’s public flirtation with the Patriots (yes, we all saw the wink at the end of the pod), along with his public displeasure with how he has been utilized within the Philadelphia offense over the last two seasons, trading him would put the Eagles in a bad spot financially, on top of costing the Patriots a boatload of draft capital.
With that being said, never say never.
We have a long way to go before Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular season kicks off.
Crazier things with far less connective tissue have happened.
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