Seahawks to Face A.J. Brown in Season Opener After Patriots Trade

The Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots to kick off the 2026 season, but the roster will look very different compared to what they had for Super Bowl LX.

The Patriots knew they needed to make some changes to the roster after losing to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. They pushed their chips in to make a massive deal, acquiring wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a fifth-round pick in next year's draft.

Adding A.J. Brown gives the Patriots another dynamic target for quarterback Drake Maye.

"There's a force to the way he plays the game..." New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels told reporters on Tuesday. "Maybe the closest thing I've seen is [Rob Gronkowski]. This is a big guy."

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on WR A.J. Brown: “There’s a force to the way he plays the game … Maybe the closest thing I’ve seen is Gronk. This is a big guy.” pic.twitter.com/phfun7aWvi
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 2, 2026

A.J. Brown Trade Forces Seahawks to Pivot

Brown has been one of the most prolific receivers in the league since he was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. He has cracked the 1,000-yard threshold in six of his first seven seasons, while making three Pro Bowls and a pair of Super Bowls, coming out on top in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tacking on another Super Bowl participant to the offense makes the Patriots that much more lethal and it gives the team a boost in one of its areas of weakness. While the Pats did not re-sign Stefon Diggs, they traded for Brown and signed Romeo Doubs from the Green Bay Packers.

This will make the matchups a bit more difficult for the Seahawks' secondary, but they should be able to handle their own. While Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant won't be on the field after they signed deals elsewhere in free agency, the team selected Julian Neal and Bud Clark, who will be faced with tough assignments in their NFL debut.

The Seahawks' game plan will look a little different than it did back in the Super Bowl, but the goal is still the same. The front seven will have to give Maye very little time to throw the ball, but the Patriots quarterback will have talented receivers running routes. If the Seahawks can win the matchup between their secondary and the Patriots receivers in Week 1, they should be able to start their season off with a win.

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