New Patriots Star A.J. Brown Shares His Thoughts on the Seahawks

A.J. Brown, the big offseason acquisition for the Patriots, was asked what he thought of the team he lines up against tomorrow.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) walks to practice for training camp at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Seattle Seahawks take the field to open their season tomorrow against the New England Patriots, most of the players they line up against will feel very familiar to them. Much of the roster is the same as it was in Super Bowl LX, just seven months ago. One exception to this, an offseason acquisition, is A.J. Brown, and he has some thoughts about the Seahawks.

Respect For The Champs

Even though Brown was not on the field for the Patriots when they lost the super bowl back in February, he is well aware of how good the Seahawks are, and why they pose such a problem for his squad. “Great team. Really great team, man. The back end is really good, they play hard. They communicate really well. They run to the ball, they tackle.”

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A.J. hasn’t played against the Seahawks since late 2023, one of the final games of Pete Carroll’s Seahawk career, so he hasn’t personally experienced this new-look defense. In fact, Brown has never played against any defense run by Mike Macdonald, even back to the Ravens. But he has observed from afar how good they are, and he acknowledges it.

Champ Recognizes Champs

Brown hasn’t played against these Seahawks, but he has won a super bowl of his own. His Philadelphia Eagles were actually the most recent champions before the Seattle Seahawks, taking home hardware in Super Bowl LIX. Brown had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown in that affair. So he knows what it takes to win it all.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) celebrates after a sack against the Jacksonville Jaguars. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

“There’s a reason why they won the super bowl,” Brown continued. “They’re really talented. We got our work cut out for us and we gotta go out there, and make plays, and communicate, and play fast, and play within ourselves.” Mostly platitudes, perhaps, but it certainly sounds like he’s aware of how difficult it will be to go into Lumen on banner night and win.

The Key Addition

In many ways, it’s A.J. Brown who carries much of the responsibility for the Patriots finding a way to an upset victory. He represents the big improvement the team made in the offseason, as the team swapped out wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte for Brown and Romeo Dobbs. If New England wins, it will probably be linked to that.

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seattle secondary is a little undermanned at the moment as well, with several defensive backs either unavailable or in limbo. There’s quite a bit on Brown’s shoulders this week, and he sounds like he has an understanding of how difficult it will be to carry it.

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