Overlooked Detail From Eagles' AJ Brown Workout With Patriots Safety

The Philadelphia Eagles have been linked to the New England Patriots on a seemingly daily basis throughout the offseason so far when it comes to wide receiver AJ Brown.

The trade rumors are loud right now and they only got louder on Thursday. First and foremost, Patriots legend Julian Edelman stirred the pot on social media by sharing a GIF on social media of him and Brown with the three words: "We're all Patriots."

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pic.twitter.com/GGd0sKIEaT
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) March 19, 2026

AJ Brown has raised eyebrows

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) looks on prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Now, Edelman didn't put a caption, but this one post sparked a frenzy of takes and interest in whether a deal between the Eagles and Patriots had gotten done. As of writing, no such deal has been reported. Afterward, photos popped up on social media with Brown working out with new Patriots safety Kevin Byard.

Offseason work is underway for new #Patriots S Kevin Byard 🔥👀

(📸 @Jholt_athelite | @reilyrogers IG) pic.twitter.com/ntUBssa1OE
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) March 20, 2026

That only added to the noise. But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Sure, with all of the trade rumors out there connecting Brown to the Patriots, seeing him working out with a new member of the franchise is an interesting look. There is one detail that seems to be missed on social media. Byard is a new member of the Patriots, but this is also a former Eagle we're talking about as well. Byard spent 10 games with the Eagles in 2023 before going on to join the Chicago Bears for the last two seasons.

It's easy to get caught up in all of the social media narratives out there. The Patriots and Los Angeles Rams are the two teams that have been most connected to Brown recently. But NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Rams appear to be "out on this situation." Karen Guregian of MassLive.com wrote on Thursday that the Eagles and Patriots appear to be in a "staring contest."

"With Doubs in the fold, the Patriots aren’t as desperate for top receiver help. The Philadelphia Eagles can’t use that chip to nudge the Patriots to cave to their demands for Brown," Guregian wrote. "In short, the Patriots and Eagles are engaged in a staring contest. While the expectation is they’ll eventually come to terms on a deal, whether it’s in the coming weeks, or after June 1, which is preferred by the Eagles for monetary reasons, it’s also possible another team will swoop in."

The Patriots have been connected to Brown, that much is obvious. There's a chance that these two sides get a deal done at some point. There has simply been too much smoke there. But these photos of the two working out isn't too crazy at this point. Again, he's a former Eagle as well. There's been enough noise connecting Brown to the Patriots they don't really need some workout photo to add.