A.J. Brown's Salary Cap Situation Could Help Patriots Trade Chances

The New England Patriots' chances of managing to force an A.J. Brown trade could be better than originally believed, according to a new report.

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

The New England Patriots may have added former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs this past offseason, but the continued search for wide receiving talent remains very real, especially considering the fact that last year's WR1 Stefon Diggs was released by the team earlier in March.

The Patriots were widely reported to be the primary suitors for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, who has repeatedly flip-flopped about his contentment level and desire to stay with the Eagles.

Trade speculation has cooled over the past couple of weeks with regards to a potential trade, but according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, it appears that the Eagles will be essentially forced to move Brown before the start of next season, if they do not want to eliminate the possibility of trading him altogether.

Speaking on Tom Curran's NBC Sports Boston show "Patriots Talk", Florio outlined a report from someone with a deep understanding of the Eagles' future cap situation, which claimed that the team would be severely hindered if they traded Brown in 2027, leaving the most realistic option for said trade being prior to the commencement of the 2027 season.

And with New England being the only realistic and talked-about destination at this point in time, it would seem that he would likely be traded there.

A.J. Brown Trade Far More Likely in 2026 Than 2027

"What I think is going on with A.J. Brown, and I had somebody who is in position to have a reason to understand the dynamics of the Eagles' salary cap into the future. And this person, early in free agency, insisted the Eagles have to trade A.J. Brown before next year. That if they make the move next year, it's going to wreak havoc on their salary cap in light of their other commitments and cap charges."

Florio also noted that given the amount of guaranteed money given to Brown that would turn into a substantial dead cap hit, the Patriots' most likely time frame for landing the three-time All-Pro is on or after June 2, so the Eagles can designate him as a post-June 1 move.

If this report is correct, it could well be that Brown is en route to the Patriots. This does complicate things slightly with regards to drafting strategy: with the limited draft capital New England has this year, knowing for certain whether a bona fide WR1 will be on the roster or not prior to the start of the 2026 NFL Draft would definitely be preferable, as it could impact whether the team targets a receiver early on.

Ultimately however, Brown would immediately come in as Drake Maye's new top target, and would improve the team's passing-game weaponry immediately.

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