May 20, 2026, 9:06 p.m. ET
With the June 1 date around the corner, the conversation surrounding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is starting to pick up.
The expectation throughout the offseason was that the Eagles would trade the three-time All-Pro receiver to the New England Patriots around that date to avoid paying a dead cap charge north of $40 million. However, there have been rumors that the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars could show interest in the star wideout.
Yet, despite all of the talk of other teams suddenly showing interest, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is sticking by the initial reporting. He still believes the Eagles will trade Brown to another team, and he still thinks that team will be the Patriots in the end.
“I will remain in the camp that we’ve been in for the last six, seven weeks, which is that I still think [Brown] is getting traded,” Schefter said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “I still think he’s getting traded on or shortly after June 1. I still think that the New England Patriots are going away the lead contender to land AJ Brown this offseason. …These other teams have had their opportunities throughout the offseason. …I still think when all is said and done, as we’ve said, that the Patriots will wind up agreeing to a deal that will land AJ Brown in New England and reunite him with Mike Vrabel.”
Brown hauled in 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
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At 28 years old, he still has prime years of football left in him, and he could serve as the true No. 1 wide receiver the Patriots have spent years searching for. The pairing of Brown with Romeo Doubs would give New England one of the best receiving corps on paper that the team has had in years.
