After months of the worst-kept secret being known to the public, it is finally official. According to Ian Rapoport, the New England Patriots are trading for wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Buffalo Bills are now set to see Brown twice a year for the foreseeable future.
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— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 1, 2026
At last: The #Eagles are trading star WR AJ Brown to the #Patriots, per The Insiders.
It’s a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick going to Philly, as Brown reunites with coach Mike Vrabel. One of the NFL’s longest runnings sagas ends with a splash. pic.twitter.com/WCXJqEA5x7
There had been lots of talk of Brown not being in Philadelphia anymore, and him reuniting with Mike Vrabel from their days with the Tennessee Titans. The Titans had traded Brown to the Eagles during the 2022 NFL Draft and he helped them reach two Super Bowls, and win one of them.
While the addition of Brown does upgrade the Patriots’ wide receiver room, the Bills saw the price that New England had to pay. New England is sending the Eagles a 2028 1st-round pick as well as a 2027 5th-round pick.
Bills fans see Patriots pay high-risk compensation for A.J. Brown
Giving up a first round pick (whether it was 2027 or 2028) is a lot for a receiver that has started to decline in production since his first season with the Eagles. Brown has recorded four consecutive 1,000+ yards in Philly, but tension had been building up and Brown isn't exactly the over-the-top receiver anymore that he once was.
Even though he gets a fresh start in New England, it’s a new offense that he will need to adjust to and he gets a new quarterback in Drake Maye. There will be growing pains for sure.Â
When the Bills gave up a 2nd-round pick for DJ Moore, a lot of people believed that it was an overpay. However, the Bills acquired an immediate upgrade at wide receiver plus an extra 5th-round pick. Not to mention, with all of the trades the Bills did on the first night of the draft, they ended up selecting two players in the second round.
Now we see a division rival giving up two draft picks, with one being a 1st-rounder for a receiver who has declined in production the last couple of seasons. The one thing in common about the trades for these recievers is that they reunite with their now-new head coach from previous teams.
The AFC East has a new weapon and the Patriots will now look to continue to keep the division away from the Bills with this trade for Brown. However, Buffalo is looking to prove to the NFL that the division still belongs in Western New York, but now they will need to do so by beating the Patriots who have a new weapon for Drake Maye.
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