Eagles Stars React to A.J. Brown Finally Getting Traded to Patriots

What Eagles players said after A.J. Brown was officially traded to New England.

Eagles players reacted to seeing A.J. Brown get traded to the Patriots this offseason. | Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

The Eagles officially said goodbye to one of their best players as they traded A.J. Brown to the Patriots on Monday for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Brown trade had been a long time coming, but it is still a pivotal loss for the Eagles.

Over his four years in Philadelphia, Brown compiled 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns as an Eagle while helping the franchise reach the postseason four times and win Super Bowl LIX. He is now in New England, where he reunites with his former Titans coach, Mike Vrabel.

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As Brown made his debut at Patriots practice on Tuesday, the team he long dreamed of playing for, several Eagles players talked about seeing him leave.

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who will now presumably become the Eagles top wideout, said of what he’ll miss about Brown: “Just the relationship we had, the brotherhood, and things like that. Some things, you look back and we had a good time here. We had a great time here, the things that we did, things we accomplished on the field, off the field. You always share those moments.”

Devonta Smith speaks to the media about the AJ Brown trade

Says “1,2,3,4” it doesn’t matter what people label him. He just wants to do his job pic.twitter.com/BVjeS6HtFi

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 2, 2026

Cornerback Cooper DeJean, who spent two years as Brown’s teammate after he was drafted in 2024, said, “It sucks to lose a great player like him.”

“It hurts,” DeJean said. “He’s a great friend of mine. He’s a great teammate in the locker room, but there’s a business side to this thing. Everybody did what was best for them.”

All-Pro corner Quinyon Mitchell added, via Ashlyn Sullivan of NBCS Philly, “That’s my big brother… I wish him nothing but the best. He helped me with my confidence, I will miss him.”

Offensive lineman Jordan Mailata noted that the trade allows the Eagles to move on now, and that for many of the players that have been in the building this offseason, they had already began moving on.

“I think this is more of a—it sounds terrible—but like, thank God it's over,” Mailata said. “It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out? We didn't really know, and that really wasn't our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense. But we got to keep these wheels moving, we got new guys coming in, we got rookies coming in again, we got to build that culture every year."

Jordan Mailata reacts to A.J. Brown's trade: pic.twitter.com/GQL8H0ohUN

— Olivia Reiner (@ReinerOlivia) June 2, 2026

After the trade, Brown posted a letter thanking the Eagles organization and fans after the trade. He also opened up about his relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts in an interview with NBC’s Maria Taylor, noting that the two of them had become less close but that he has “nothing but love” for him.

Brown is already embracing his role with the Patriots and the opportunity to play for the organization and with quarterback Drake Maye. The Eagles, meanwhile, will be hoping to see offseason additions Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown contribute to the offense as they learn a new scheme heading into 2026. It’s a season of change in Philadelphia, but one that was long expected.

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