The New England Patriots offense scored at a historically low rate in the 2025 NFL playoffs and still reached the Super Bowl.

But they couldn’t overcome the final hurdle, which was an elite Seattle Seahawks defense. The result? A 29-13 loss in Super Bowl 60 that was actually worse than what the stat sheet would suggest. The Patriots’ offensive performance through three quarters was one of the worst in Super Bowl history.

How can the Patriots upgrade their offense for next season?

One area is wide receiver.

The addition of Stefon Diggs in free agency last offseason proved to be an excellent one. He became the team’s first 1,000-yard wideout since Julian Edelman in 2019 and was great for the team culture. Even if he returns to the Patriots in 2026, bolstering the talent level and depth at wide receiver should be a priority for New England in the coming months.

One solution to consider is trading for Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown. The 28-year-old star has voiced his frustration with the Eagles offense on a few occasions, which has led to some trade speculation.

ESPN published an article Thursday evaluating four potential trade destinations for Brown and what an offer from those teams could look like.

Here is Seth Walder’s mock trade proposal for the Patriots:

Eagles get: 2026 first-round pick, 2026 third-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick

Patriots get: A.J. Brown, 2026 second-round pick

A first-round pick plus two other picks is a steep price for any player, even one as talented as Brown.

However, Brown has tallied 1,000-plus receiving yards in six of his seven pro seasons, including each of the last four. He has averaged eight touchdowns per season. He’s a physical wideout (6-foot-1, 226 pounds) and a downfield threat. He ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s Receiver Score in 2024 and No. 6 in 2025.

Brown would instantly improve the Patriots receiving corps in a major way. And he also knows Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel very well from their time together with the Tennessee Titans.

Brown signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the Eagles in April of 2024 despite having multiple years left on his current deal at the time. He is under contract through 2029 with a salary cap hit of $23.4 million in the 2026 season, per Spotrac, so he’d be an expensive addition.

The list of free agent wide receivers isn’t great, though. The best fit for the Patriots is probably Alec Pierce. He’s a very good wideout and a legit deep threat, but he doesn’t cause the same headaches for opposing defenses that Brown does.

If the Patriots want to make a splash at wide receiver, a blockbuster trade for a true No. 1 makes a lot more sense than paying anyone on the free agent market $15-plus million per season.

The Patriots have an elite young QB on a rookie contract. The time is now to be aggressive in surrounding him with top-tier weapons.