Five Players Who Could Be Traded Next Following A.J. Brown, Myles Garrett Moves | Done Deal: How A.J. Brown Trade Impacts Patriots, Eagles Ahead of 2026 Season
A.J. Brown’s time with the Eagles has officially come to an end after Philadelphia agreed to trade the star wide receiver to the Patriots––a deal that has long been rumored to be in the works.
Brown had a tumultuous four-year tenure with the Eagles. There were many memorable highs, most notably the Super Bowl LIX win against the Chiefs in which Brown had a touchdown reception. But there were also some concerning lows, like when he began reading a self-help book on the sideline of a playoff game after failing to make an impact offensively, as well as multiple instances in which he expressed his dissatisfaction with the offense as a whole. Now, he’ll put all of that behind him as he begins his next chapter in New England.
The full trade sees the Patriots acquire Brown from the Eagles in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a ’27 fifth-round pick. The Patriots have two fifth-round picks in ’27, and Philadelphia will receive the earlier selection of the two.
Let’s grade the trade.
Patriots
This is a seismic addition for the Patriots. Despite making a run to the Super Bowl last season, the Patriots didn’t have a very strong receiving corps. They’ve overhauled the position in a major way this offseason by signing Romeo Doubs in free agency and adding Brown in the blockbuster trade.
Brown is an established No. 1 receiver who has averaged 1,147 receiving yards per season throughout his career. The last time the Patriots had any player record more than 1,147 receiving yards in a single season was in 2015, when Rob Gronkowski racked up 1,176 yards. Brown is the best receiver the Patriots have had since Drake Maye was drafted in 2023. Maye made major strides last season, finishing as the MVP runner-up despite New England’s lackluster crop of wide receivers. With Brown in the picture, Maye could elevate his game further still.
The veteran wide receiver is also plenty familiar with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, whom he played under during his tenure with the Titans from 2019 to ’21. That familiarity could go a long way as Brown adapts to his new surroundings in New England with the team’s OTAs already underway.
While the Patriots had to cough up a future first-round pick to land Brown, they managed to push that pick into 2028. The ’27 draft class is projected to be a strong one, so holding onto their first-rounder next year was significant. Considering the Bills offloaded a second-round pick in exchange for DJ Moore, who, while plenty talented, is not on the level of Brown, a first-round pick two years down the line and a fifth-round pick next year feels like solid value for a receiver who can rack up 1,000 yards in his sleep.
Grade: A-
Eagles
The Eagles landed a future first-round pick in exchange for their oft-disgruntled wide receiver. A split seemed like it was necessary for both sides. Philadelphia’s offense had a disappointing season in 2025, and Brown, on multiple occasions, made clear he wasn’t thrilled with how the offense was being run, as well as his role in it.
Still, Brown’s production will be hard to replicate. Even though his production dipped a bit over the past two seasons, Brown recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards and logged seven touchdowns in both of those campaigns. In his four seasons in Philadelphia, Brown tallied 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns.
DeVonta Smith will be the team’s go-to receiver in 2026. He ranked second on the team with 113 targets and 77 receptions last season, and he led the squad with 1,008 receiving yards. While depth at wide receiver and tight end was something of an issue last season, Philadelphia has already added some new faces at both positions in the offseason, in addition to bringing back TE Dallas Goedert, who led the team with 11 touchdown catches in ‘25, on a one-year deal. The Eagles acquired Dontayvion Wicks in an offseason trade with the Packers and drafted wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round and tight end Eli Stowers in the second round. Getting their new acquisitions up to speed quickly will be crucial if they are hoping to see more success through the air after a season in which they ranked 23rd in the NFL with 194.3 passing yards per game.
The return for Brown was solid. A future first-round pick is a valuable asset, though it would’ve been more beneficial if the selection going to Philadelphia was a 2027 first, rather than ‘28. They’ll also pick up a fifth-round pick in ‘27, which at the very least gives trade-happy GM Howie Roseman more ammo to work with. Moving Brown after June 1 enables the Eagles to spread out Brown’s dead cap hit over the next two seasons, as opposed to absorbing the entire $43,364,609 dead cap charge this year.
When Brown arrived in Philadelphia, both Jalen Hurts and Smith were still on their rookie deals. Hurts has since been signed to a massive extension that pays him $51 million annually, while Smith is now making $25 million annually. The team also signed Saquon Barkley, who is the top earner at the running back position with a $20.6 million average annual salary. With so many high-earning players on offense, Philadelphia has largely relied on young talent to bolster its defense. Many of those standout defensemen will soon be in line for extensions themselves, and offloading Brown will give the Eagles a bit more flexibility to work with as they aim to lock down some of those key defensive pieces on new contracts.
All in all, this was a mutually beneficial trade between the Eagles and Patriots. New England had a clear need at wide receiver and upgraded at the position by bringing in one of the league’s best, while Philadelphia parted ways with a talented player who had become something of a distraction at times.
