Three-time Pro Bowl player AJ Brown is moving to New England.
Perhaps the most poorly guarded secret of the NFL off-season, thePhiladelphia EaglesThey are finally trading Brown to the Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a fifth-round pick in 2027. The terms of the deal were initially reported by ESPN’s NFL insider, Adam Schefter.
The agreement has been the subject of discussion for weeks, but it was postponed until after June 1 because of the challenges posed by the NFL salary cap. By waiting until May had passed, the Eagles can now distribute $43.5 million in dead money between 2026 and 2027, providing the team with greater financial freedom.
Brown now takes the place of Stefon Diggs, who was vital for the Patriots’ quarterbackDrakeMaye in 2025 but was later released following the Patriots’Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The 28-year-old graduate of Ole Miss secured a Super Bowl victory with the Eagles in 2024, but he and the quarterbackJalen Hurtshad difficulty staying focused at different points in 2025. While Brown averaged over 80 receiving yards per game with Philadelphia in 2022, 2023, and 2024, this number fell to 66.9 last year.
Interestingly, Hurts did not attend Brown’s recent wedding to Kelsey Riley.
Before his stint in Philadelphia, Brown was an emerging talent with theTennesseeThe Titans during the current Patriots coach, Mike Vrabel.
In the initial three seasons of his career, Brown recorded an average of 69.7 receiving yards per game in Nashville prior to being traded to the Eagles in exchange for the 18th selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Brown now becomes part of a competitive group of receivers in Foxborough, which already features Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams. The Patriots have also signed free agent and former Green Bay Packers standout Romeo Doubs, who is only 26 years old and had a 724-yard season last year.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have been getting ready for Brown’s exit for a while.
Besides selecting USC’s wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round of April’s NFL Draft, the team also brought on Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore, and acquired Dontayvion Wicks from the Green Bay Packers.
And naturally, Philadelphia brings back Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who continues to be one of the most formidable threats in the NFC.
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