Despite all logic suggesting a trade won't happen, rumors about Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown continue to pop up.
The latest connects Brown to the New England Patriots, who reportedly are leaving no stone unturned in their search for a No. 1 receiver. There's been significant offseason speculation about a possible Patriots-Brown trade but little in the way of credible reporting.
"Just like last offseason, I still believe in my bones the Patriots will find that receiver via trade, among the likes of AJ Brown and Brandon Aiyuk," Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard wrote Monday. "The latter is the best option given the firesale in San Francisco, but he won't be ready until at least midseason after major knee surgery."
Bedard has been connecting Brown to the Patriots since the start of the offseason, so his latest thoughts on the subject shouldn't be dismissed. His piece also arrived two weeks after NBC Sports' Matthew Berry reported the Patriots already had reached out to the Eagles about Brown.
“I’ve heard the Patriots will do whatever they can to get a real ‘WR1’ for Drake Maye and the new coaching staff," Berry wrote after visiting the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. "I heard they are knocking on all doors, seeing what they can possibly trade for, and one person told me they heard the Patriots called Philly asking if A.J. Brown was available. Shrug emoji on if that’s true, or what Philly’s answer was, but this much seems certain: New England will aggressively try to upgrade its wide receiver room this offseason.”
If the Eagles decide to trade Brown, New England makes sense as a landing spot. The Patriots are desperate to land a receiver, and all indications are that Brown and head coach Mike Vrabel had a strong relationship when they were with the Tennessee Titans.
Nevertheless, there still isn't any reason to believe Philly is interested in moving its best receiver -- yet.
