The New England Patriots have a new WR1.
They agreed Monday to trade their 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles for three-time Pro-Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown.
In a post to his Instagram account Monday, Brown said, “Eagles Nation, thank you for welcoming my family and me with open arms from day one. This city, this locker room, and this fan base will always hold a special place in my heart.
“To my brothers in that locker room – thank you for going to battle with me every single day. The memories we made together, on and off the field, are something I’ll carry with me forever.
“To the coaching staff, trainers, equipment staff, cafeteria workers, and the cleaning crew – thank you for everything you do behind the scenes to keep us going. There are so many people in the building who make it possible for us to go out there and compete, and I’m grateful for all of you.
“Playing for this city has been an honor, and I’m thankful for every moment I had in midnight green.
“Thank you, Philly. Much love always. God Bless.
“11.”
The trade reunites Brown, who will turn 29 later this month, with New England head coach Mike Vrabel, who was his first coach when he was selected by the Tennessee Titans with their second-round pick (#51 overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft.
By waiting until June 1 to make the move, the Eagles are now able to split Brown’s $40 million cap hit between 2026 and 2027. In anticipation of this trade, they moved up into the first round to pick USC WR Makai Lemon.
Philadelphia also signed WRs Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore as free agents, and it made a trade with Green Bay for WR Dontayvion Wicks.
“I think that when we looked at the totality of the circumstances and having the conversations we had with him, felt like where we were, where we were going, where he was, that if we could find something that kind of achieved our goals of getting a first-round pick going forward here in the near future, getting the money back to spend on other players on our team and other teams and it was a win-win situation based on where he was and how he felt, we were open to that,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said Monday.
Brown spent three seasons playing for the Titans, finishing third in voting for the Associated Press’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after hauling in 52 receptions for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns. In three postseason games, however, he was limited to five catches for 64 yards.
In 14 regular-season games in 2020, Brown had 70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 TDs. The Ole Miss product was selected to his first Pro-Bowl appearance. He had six catches for 83 yards and one TD in a 20-13 home loss vs. Baltimore in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Brown played in 13 regular-season games in 2021, producing 63 receptions for 869 yards and five TDs. In a 19-16 home loss to the Bengals in the AFC Divisional Round, he had five catches for 142 yards and one TD.
However, that would his last game in Tennessee. On the night of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Titans inexplicably traded Brown against the wishes of Vrabel, who was highly opposed to the deal that general manager Jon Robinson signed off on.
In return, Tennessee received Philadelphia’s #18 pick in the first round – that it used to draft WR Treylon Burks – and its #101 overall selection in the third round. Burks played three seasons for the Titans. In 27 regular-season games, the Arkansas product had 53 catches for 699 receiving yards and one TD.
Needless to say, Tennessee hasn’t been to the playoffs since trading Brown. Burks had 10 receptions for 130 yards and one TD for the Commanders in 2025. The Titans fired Robinson as their GM on Dec. 6 of 2022.
On the night he was acquired, Brown signed a four-year, $100 million contract with the Eagles. He set the single-season franchise record for receiving yards in 2022 (1,496) and had 88 catches for 11 TDs. Brown had 13 receptions for 146 yards and one TD in three postseason contests, including six catches for 96 yards and one TD in a 38-35 loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII.
Brown shined again in 2023 by snagging 106 balls for 1,456 yards and seven TDs in 17 regular-season games. He was named the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month in October, but he sustained a sprained knee in the regular-season finale against the Giants and missed the playoffs.
Brown produced 1,079 and 1,003 receiving yards in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and he had seven TD catches during the regular season of both years. In four postseason games in 2024, Brown brought down 12 receptions for 163 yards and two TDs. He had three catches for 43 yards and one TD in Philadelphia’s 40-22 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Since this trade was a well-known secret for weeks, the move didn’t impact New England’s future odds. The Patriots still have the fifth-shortest odds on the board (16/1 at FanDuel as of early Tuesday morning) to win Super Bowl LXI.