FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Wide receiver A.J. Brown is departing Philadelphia after a disappointing stint with the Eagles to rejoin his former coach in New England.
New England completed the acquisition of the standout pass-catcher from Philadelphia on Monday, finalizing a deal that had been widely speculated about for months.
Philadelphia announced they will get a 2028 first-round draft selection and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for the receiver who has made three Pro Bowl appearances.
The move follows Brown’s difficult 2025 campaign in Philadelphia, where he became increasingly dissatisfied with an Eagles attack that struggled with consistency as the franchise was unable to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Brown spent three years playing for Vrabel after Tennessee selected him in the 2019 draft.
The 28-year-old Brown became Philadelphia’s primary receiving target following his acquisition from Tennessee by the Eagles in 2022.
Brown delivered consecutive Pro Bowl performances in his initial two Philadelphia seasons, hauling in 88 receptions for 1,496 yards and 11 scores in 2022, followed by 106 catches for 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.
Brown captured a Super Bowl championship during the 2024 campaign, but his satisfaction declined last season as Philadelphia’s offensive production faltered — resulting in a coaching change at offensive coordinator after a wild-card playoff defeat to San Francisco.
This situation sparked increased speculation about a potential trade during the current offseason. The move was delayed past April’s NFL draft likely because Philadelphia would have faced approximately $43 million in dead salary cap penalties for 2026 versus roughly $16 million this year and $27 million next season if the trade occurred after June 1.
In the end, a valuable draft selection proved sufficient to convince Philadelphia to part with a talent of Brown’s stature.
New England had been considered a logical destination for Brown since the team cut receiver Stefon Diggs in March. Diggs topped New England with 85 catches and 1,013 receiving yards plus four scores in his lone 2025 season with the Patriots, contributing to their Super Bowl appearance where they fell to the Seattle Seahawks.
Losing Diggs made securing a top receiving threat for quarterback Drake Maye an urgent need. New England did sign former Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs during free agency. However, he doesn’t provide the immediate offensive transformation that Brown’s arrival could deliver.
Maye confirmed last week that he had heard the speculation linking Brown to New England.
“If he ends up being on our team, great. What a great player. And if he doesn’t, we’ve still got to work these guys here,” Maye said. “It’s a tough balance, but I know he’s a phenomenal player.”
Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams, who was teammates with Brown on Philadelphia’s 2024 Super Bowl-winning squad, believes the receiver would make a significant impact.
“He can definitely help our team,” Williams said. “Great dude. Monster on the field, great in the locker room, holding guys accountable and holding himself accountable. That’s everything you want in a player of his caliber.”
Brown departs Philadelphia among the most productive receivers in team history. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his four seasons with the Eagles. Brown accumulated 339 total catches and 32 touchdowns while serving as a key contributor on two Eagles squads that reached the Super Bowl during his time there.
Vrabel was beginning his second year as Tennessee’s head coach when the franchise chose Brown in the second round of the 2019 draft.
Brown recorded 185 catches for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns during the following three seasons, reaching his peak with a 2020 campaign that earned him Pro Bowl recognition after recording 70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns.
However, Tennessee ultimately dealt Brown to Philadelphia on the second day of the 2022 draft despite having one year remaining on his rookie contract. The organization insisted it preferred to keep him but believed his contract extension demands were excessive.
Vrabel repeatedly said during that offseason that Brown would remain on the team as long as he was the head coach, but circumstances forced a different outcome.
“Unfortunately, we understand that if we’re going to be here awhile we’re not going to be able to keep every single player that we draft and develop,” Vrabel said at the time.
Four years later, he’ll get to coach him again.
