Will A.J. Brown be a New England Patriot in 2026?
That question has persisted for weeks, and the buzz has only gotten louder in recent days. Ex-Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman added fuel to the fire Thursday by posting a GIF of him telling Brown “We’re all Patriots” during a recent podcast interview. (Brown responded with a sly wink.) And later that day, we saw photos of Brown training with newly-acquired Patriots safety Kevin Byard, who was Brown’s teammate in both Philadelphia and Tennessee and is close with the star wide receiver.
So, is this trade happening or not? What might the Eagles want in return for Brown, and should the Patriots be willing to pay that cost? Patriots Insider Phil Perry shared what he’s hearing on a new episode of the Next Pats podcast.
How the Jaylen Waddle trade impacts A.J. Brown’s price tag
The Denver Broncos recently sent a 2026 first-round pick (No. 30), 2026 third-round pick (No. 94) and a 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 130) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 111). If you cancel out those fourth-round picks, that’s essentially a first- and third-round pick for Waddle.
According to Perry, the consensus is that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would seek a similar return for Brown.
“I’ll just tell you what I’ve heard from folks across the league is that yes, Howie Roseman will probably want about what Denver gave up to get Jaylen Waddle in order for Philly to be willing to trade A.J. Brown,” Perry said.
“… That’s just what I’ve heard from executives in the league when it comes to this Waddle trade. Their initial reaction was, ‘Howie is probably going to want something right around that kind of haul. First and a third.'”
Do the Patriots have the leverage in A.J. Brown talks?
According to the latest reports, the Patriots and Los Angeles Rams remain interested in trading for Brown. But the Rams just sent a first-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire cornerback Trent McDuffie and already have a No. 1 wide receiver in Davante Adams, so New England currently seems like the only legitimate trade partner for the Eagles.
Of course, Philly could decide to not trade Brown, but they might be dealing with a disgruntled wideout who called his situation a “s— show” amid a tumultuous 2025 season. So, if Brown really wants out of Philly, perhaps the Patriots could hold out for a better deal.
“Where is Philly’s leverage truly here?” Perry said. “If the player wants to be gone and there aren’t all that many teams after him, are they going to be able to ask for the Jaylen Waddle package?
“That’s something that does factor in a positive way for New England. There was no scuttlebutt about Jaylen Waddle wanting out of Miami. … Probably a little bit of leverage there in Miami that maybe Philly doesn’t really have.”
Should the Patriots stand pat?
Assuming the Eagles want a first-round pick and a third-round pick for Brown, is that a cost the Patriots should be willing to pay?
If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they would take on a dead cap hit of more than $40 million in 2026. If they move him after June 1, the dead money incurred would drop below $20 million for 2026. So, New England could play hardball and see if Philly’s price drops after June 1.
“I think I would be holding out and seeing if I can get him for a little bit less,” Perry said. “Would I be willing to trade a second-round pick in 2027 and a second in 2028 on June 2nd of this year to get A.J. Brown? Sure. … But a first and a third? That feels like a lot to me.
“I think I might be calling Philly’s bluff and saying to them, ‘You’re telling us that you can go into next season with A.J. Brown. You think that’s a functional situation there? You’ve got a new offensive coordinator (Sean Mannion). You have a young quarterback (Jalen Hurts) who you’re invested in. Doesn’t seem like that relationship’s great. Seems like A.J. Brown really wants to go. OK, great. Good luck with him.
“‘We’ve got Romeo Doubs and whoever we took in the draft. We’ve got Kayshon Boutte, who we like. We think Kyle Williams is going to grow into a better player. Mack Hollins is very useful for us. We’re going to use a lot of two tight-end sets and two-back sets anyway, so we’re probably only going to have two receivers on the field.
“‘So, if you want to keep him, go ahead. Good luck with that.'”
Also in this episode:
