Why A.J. Brown Getting Traded to Patriots Was a Long Time Coming

A new chapter has been unveiled for wide receiver A.J. Brown, as the 28-year-old star has been officially traded to the New England Patriots.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Philadelphia Eagles traded 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. It's been a big deal for a while, considering Brown's history with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel coached Brown during his first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2021, and now Brown could help fill the gap left by the departure of former No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

We've agreed to trade WR A.J. Brown to the Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, pending a physical. pic.twitter.com/AQXFHfWYQq
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) June 1, 2026

Brown has 8,029 receiving yards and 56 touchdowns, in addition to one rushing touchdown, across his league career so far. He's been to three Pro Bowls, played in two Super Bowls, and won one with the Eagles back in 2024. He's one of the league's top wideouts for quite some time, and now he has a chance to bring his talents to New England.

It's not just a reunion for Vrabel, but also a chance for third-year quarterback Drake Maye to throw to a proven NFL receiver once again. But no one should be surprised that this trade happened, as the longtime Patriots fan always wanted to play for New England since coming out of college.

Why A.J. Brown Wanted To Be With New England

How badly did Brown want to end up in New England? Well, when one takes a look at his former history with the franchise — the answer easily reads to "a lot."

On a former episode of the 'Dudes on Dudes' podcast with Patriots Hall of Famers Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, Brown said that he grew up a fan of the New England organization ever since his childhood despite being a Mississippi native.

“When I was younger, I wanted to do everything like my older cousin, and he was a big Patriots fan,” Brown said. “It was that simple. Nothing complex about it.”

New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown — Sep 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) is tackled by New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (6) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Brown was originally drafted by the Titans in the second round of the 2019 Draft. Under Vrabel during his time in Tennessee, Brown recorded back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons in 2019 and 2020. Brown would also go on to indicate a longterm respect he's held for Vrabel, due to the accountability he placed on all the players on his roster which helped lead to his success.

“Vrabes is the type of coach who’s going to call on you in the meetings,” Brown explained. “He’s going to make sure you’re staying engaged and go over the keys of victory of the week. You better know the keys to victory like the back of your hand.”

And clearly, the respect is mutual for Vrabel. This is the first time in over half a decade (2017 for Brandin Cooks) that the Patriots have made the effort to trade a first round pick for a WR. As such, the deal would not have been done unless it was something Vrabel really wanted.

Brown is coming off a 2025 season for Philadelphia that saw the Ole Miss alum post 1,003 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Brown now joins Romeo Doubs as already-established NFL receivers making their way over to the Patriots. But now Brown, who admitted to crying on draft day when the Patriots passed on him to take N'Keal Harry, has a chance to make his NFL career come full circle.

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