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New England Patriots helmet.
Former New England Patriots running back and current CBS sports analyst Damien Harris wants the team to land a playmaker this offseason, and it’s one the Patriots have been connected with before. He believes the team should consider adding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Brown had a productive season for the Eagles in 2025. He started slow but finished the year strong. He finished the year with 78 catches for 1.003 yards and seven touchdowns over the course of the season. This included five games of over 100 yards receiving, including a stretch where he posted three straight 100-yard games in the last two weeks of November and beginning of December.
Brown has been linked as a trade target for the Patriots before, given the fact that he played for Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans. Brown recorded 295 catches for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns in 43 games with the Titans.
Harris believes that Brown would be exactly what the Patriots need to get that top receiving weapon.
“There wasn’t an impact wide receiver in this (Super Bowl) tonight. Holistically, when you look at the success of this receiver room, it’s kind of just been by committee. It’s like one game it’s Kayshon Boutte, one game it’s Stefon Diggs, one game Pop Douglas, one game Mack Collins goes out and catches some 5050 balls and gives you a spark. You need an alpha out there. You need an alpha whose name is AJ Brown.”
Harris Has Familiarity With New England Patriots
The running back has familiarity with the Patriots organization. He was drafted by the team in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. He appeared in 64 games between the Patriots and Buffalo Bills, and recorded 2,094 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. His best season with the Patriots came in 2021, and he recorded 929 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in as many games.
Brown would be another solid addition that already has a playmaking receiver in Stefon Diggs. The latter recorded 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 85 receptions. He played in all 17 games and was the first Patriots player to surpass 1,000 receiving yards since Julian Edelman in 2019.
Brown Grew Up New England Patriots Fan
Brown is also a New England Patriots fan. He was upset when the team did not draft him in the first round in 2019. The draft selection went to N’Keal Harry that year, with Brown going to the Titans. The wideout is a fan of Tom Brady in particular, and could have had an opportunity to play with him as a member of the Patriots.
This could be a storyline worth watching. The Patriots certainly could benefit from putting more weapons around quarterback Drake Maye. Diggs was certainly a productive target for the quarterback. However, Brown would elevate the wide receiver group to another level. It has been reported that Brown has wanted out of Philadelphia as well, so this could make sense for both the Patriots and Eagles to get a deal done.
The Patriots have a unique opportunity to build around their quarterback in Maye, as the franchise has found their quarterback. Putting Brown in the wide receiver room would be a step in the right direction. He would give them an additional playmaker as well as another veteran in the locker room.
One has to wonder what the asking price will be for Brown at this stage in the offseason. However, it would certainly be worth it for the Patriots to kick the tires and see if there’s any potential interest in getting a deal done.
Danny Jaillet Danny Jaillet is a sportswriter with more than 15 years experience in the industry. He has been featured on Fox Sports, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports among others. He graduated from Worcester State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in writing. More about Danny Jaillet
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