After months and months of anticipation, it finally happened: the Philadelphia Eagles have traded AJ Brown to the New England Patriots.
Taking to social media to announce the big move everyone saw coming, ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed the compensation surrendered for Brown's services, which is a tad richer than was widely speculated.
“ESPN sources: The Eagles are trading Pro-Bowl WR A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick that is the better of New England’s two fifths,” Schefter wrote. “The deal that has been speculated on for weeks now finally is happening. Brown and Patriots HC Mike Vrabel are reuniting.”
Now granted, the idea of Brown playing for the Pats in 2026 was nothing new, he's been positioning to reunite with Mike Vrabel in New England since around the Super Bowl, but the deal couldn't be accepted until after 4 p.m. ET on June 1 due to the cap ramifications. As a result, either team could have conceivably backed out or even tried to engage with another organization in order to pursue other deals for one reason or another.
Instead, Brown gets his way. He's heading to the Patriots, where he will immediately slot in as Drake Maye's No. 1 target in the passing game, and all of New England will wait with bated breath to see if Vrabel can keep the soon-to-be 29-year-old wide receiver's 1,000-yard receiving streak for the fifth year in a row. After extensive rumors, drama, and analysis of wedding pictures like it was the Zupruter film, both franchises can move forward as they shoot for a Super Bowl win.
