06/01/26 04:18:00
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06/01 16:17 CDT Eagles trade receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots, setting up
reunion with coach Mike Vrabel
Eagles trade receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots, setting up reunion with coach
Mike Vrabel
By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) --- A.J. Brown is leaving a frustrating experience in
Philadelphia for a reunion in New England with his first NFL coach.
The Eagles traded the star receiver to the Patriots on Monday, putting a cap on
the long-rumored deal.
The Eagles said they will receive a first-round pick in 2028 and a fifth-round
pick in 2027 for the three-time Pro Bowler.
The trade comes after a frustrating 2025 season for Brown in Philadelphia, in
which he had grown dispirited with an Eagles offense that played uninspired
football at times while the team failed to defend its Super Bowl title.
Brown played under Vrabel for three seasons after being drafted by the
Tennessee Titans in 2019.
Brown, 28, quickly rose to the top receiving option in Philadelphia after being
traded by Tennessee to the Eagles in 2022.
He had back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons his first two seasons with the Eagles,
catching 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 and 106 passes for
1,456 yards and seven TDs in 2023.
He earned a Super Bowl ring during the 2024 season, but began to grow unhappy
last season as the Eagles offense stagnated --- leading to a change at
offensive coordinator following a wild-card playoff loss to San Francisco last
season.
It led to an increase in chatter about the potential for a trade heading into
this offseason. It didn't happen during April's NFL draft likely because the
Eagles would have had about $43 million in dead cap money for 2026 compared to
about $16 million this year and $27 million next year if traded after June 1.
Ultimately a high draft pick proved to be enough to persuade them to deal a
player of Brown's caliber.
The Patriots have been viewed as a possible landing spot for Brown since they
released receiver Stefon Diggs in March. Diggs led New England with 85
receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season in
New England in 2025, helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, where they lost
to the Seattle Seahawks.
Diggs' exit made finding a No. 1 receiving option for quarterback Drake Maye a
priority. The Patriots did add former Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs in
free agency. But he doesn't instantly change an offense the way Brown's
addition could.
Maye acknowledged last week that he was aware of the Brown-to-New England
rumors.
"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 on the Eagles 2024 Super
Bowl-winning team with Brown, said the receiver would be a big addition.
"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 leaves Philadelphia as one of the top receivers in franchise history. He
topped 1,000 yards receiving all four seasons with the Eagles. He totaled 339
total receptions and 32 touchdowns and was a crucial member of the two Eagles
teams that played in the Super Bowl during his tenure.
Vrabel was entering his second season as coach of the Titans when the team
selected Brown in the second round of the 2019 draft.
Brown caught 185 passes for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns over the next three
years, peaking with a 2020 season in which he earned a Pro Bowl selection after
pulling in 70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns.
But the Titans wound up trading Brown to Philadelphia on the second day of the
2022 draft that April despite having a season left on his rookie deal. The team
was adamant that it wasn't its preference to trade him but felt his asking
price for an extension was too high.
Vrabel stated multiple times during that offseason that Brown would be on the
roster as long as he was the coach, but the realities of the situation changed
things.
"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.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
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