A.J.

Brown

Maye and Brown have already begun generating highlight plays together against Patriots defenders. Coaches and players from both sides of the ball are highly complimentary of the new receiver, and Brown has taken on a leadership role within the offense. It sounds like things are coming together for Brown and the Patriots. Treat him as a WR2 with upside.

Over the course of his career, Brown has openly discussed the maintenance his knees require. He underwent cleanup procedures in both knees in 2021. Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf recently acknowledged that Brown has managed a degenerative knee condition in one of his knees since entering the league in 2019. Despite receiving treatment regularly, Brown has been a 1,000-yard receiver in six of his seven NFL seasons. We expect him to continue playing at a high level, but he could fall into the WR1/2 range this summer. Regardless, he is the Patriots’ clear-cut WR1.

McLane added that he thinks that’s why Brown’s value on the market wasn’t “what you thought it would be.” Brown held his press conference with the Patriots today and said “I know this isn’t heaven. But it’s close to it.” We don’t think this report holds any real impact on Brown’s 2026 status, but it’s worth considering for dynasty leaguers and keeper leagues as Brown enters his age-29 season.

The Eagles are also receiving a 2027 fifth-round pick from the Patriots in exchange for Brown. After spending months waiting for this trade to become official, the two sides finalized things shortly after the post-June 1 deadline took effect on Monday, sending Brown to the Patriots and giving Drake Maye an elite WR1 to pair with Romeo Doubs and company. Brown grew increasingly frustrated with his role in Philly’s run-heavy offense last season, which made him a likely trade candidate this offseason if the team could find a suitor. With Stefon Diggs no longer in Foxborough and Maye ascending the ranks of NFL quarterbacks, pairing Brown with Maye for the foreseeable future seemed like a no-brainer for the Patriots, who were able to avoid dealing their 2027 first-round pick. Brown will turn 29 this offseason, but has totaled 1,000-plus yards in each of his four seasons with the Eagles, helping them to their second Super Bowl title in 2024. He’ll profile as a fringe WR1/WR2 in fantasy leagues and should see a nice increase in targets next season.

We will all breathe a collective sigh of relief when this trade is completed. Schultz said the two sides have “had deep discussions” on a potential trade, and also confirmed previous reports from The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane that the deal would include a 2028 first-round pick going back to the Eagles. It truly feels like only a matter of time before this deal gets done, as we all continue to wait for the post-June 1 deadline to officially take effect. It wouldn’t be surprising if this deal became official before the end of the day.

In a post on X, McLane says, “from what I understand,” the return for Brown is “straight up a 2028 first-round draft pick.” We’ll see if that’s the case if/when a deal between the Eagles and Patriots eventually gets done, but that would be a steep drop from the compensation the star receiver was expected to generate. It’s been reported that the Patriots are unwilling to deal a first-round pick for Brown, so it’s possible this is how the two sides agreed to a deal for the Eagles to move on from the disgruntled receiver. If a deal does happen, we wouldn’t expect it to come before 4:01 PM EST, which is when it would officially become more financially feasible for the Eagles as a post-June 1 deal. Brown caught 78 passes for 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns last season in a down year, and would immediately slot in as the Patriots’ top receiving option if he’s dealt.

The two sides are currently “working on” trade terms. The Patriots hope to get the deal done shortly after the league calendar rolls over at 4:01 pm Eastern tomorrow, at which time, the Eagles can spread out Brown’s salary cap over two seasons instead of one. Per Fowler, the Patriots “have not been overly crazy” about meeting the Eagles’ first-round-pick asking price. He wonders if the Eagles would be comfortable accepting a conditional pick for Brown, or if they might be willing to send a pick of their own to New England. Ending this saga as quickly as possible would likely be best for all involved, because it ends the storyline for the Eagles and allows Brown to begin studying his new playbook before training camp.

Rapoport notes that the Eagles still want a first-round pick for Brown while the Pats haven’t budged in that regard. He added that the trade discussions could “drag on for the foreseeable future.” Brown’s relationships with the team and his quarterback seem to be broken beyond repair, and they already drafted his replacement in Makai Lemon. The Eagles shouldn’t have much leverage in the situation, but the Pats are also in desperate need of a true No. 1 receiver. The deal was initially expected to be made official on June 1st, when the cap hit for Philly becomes more manageable. Now it looks like things could drag on toward training camp.

This of course has to do with Rashee Rice failing a drug test and undergoing another knee procedure and missing up to two months. Rice this week violated his probation by testing positive for THC and will serve 30 days in jail. He’s slated to be out of jail by the middle of June. This is just the latest in a long time of off-the-field issues that have kept Rice away from the team. There’s also the matter of Rice’s health, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Tuesday that the KC wideout will be sidelined for upwards of two months after undergoing a clean-up procedure on his right knee. The Chiefs, Breer said, believed Rice can be a top-10 NFL receiver when healthy, but are skeptical as to whether they can trust Rice to stay out of legal trouble and stay healthy. Rice’s legal woes and injury history could force Kansas City to reconsider an offer for Brown, who is widely expected to be dealt by the Eagles after June 1. The Patriots and Jaguars have also been mentioned as potential suitors for Brown. “I don’t believe that happens,” Breer said of Brown landing in Kansas City. “But I think if you’re the Chiefs you have to take a look at all of these things going forward.”

“Neither side is committed to it, but both I believe are expected to make it happen ... It’s not going to be hard to get done. The Eagles are open to moving him, the Patriots want him, and I believe in the end it will involve a future first-round draft pick. My guess is 2028,” Schefter told the man who only wears tank tops. It makes sense that the 2027 first-round pick would be off limits as it’s expected to be a much better and deeper draft class. The Athletic’s Chad Graff filed a post-draft 53-man roster projection in which Kayshon Boutte is a “substitution for ... Brown” and believes Boutte is the “most likely receiver to head to Philadelphia in a trade.” We still have another month before this can finally just happen.