An A.J. Brown trade to the New England Patriots has felt like a foregone conclusion for weeks. But still hasn’t happened yet.
And until a deal is officially consummated, there’s always some chance that a different scenario plays out. (Just ask Maxx Crosby and the Baltimore Ravens.)
In Brown’s case, the expectation is the Philadelphia Eagles will trade him on or after June 1, when their dead cap hit lowers significantly from $43.4 million to $16.4 million. To this point, the Patriots have been the clear favorites to land the star wide receiver. But could an unexpected team emerge to give New England some competition?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer joined Arbella Early Edition on Wednesday to share what he’s hearing about three teams that may or may not enter the Brown sweepstakes.
Los Angeles Rams
“I’d be surprised if it was the Rams, because they went so far down the road on it before,” Breer said of a potential Brown trade to Los Angeles.
“A couple of things derailed it. No. 1, there was some concern over (Brown’s) knee, and No. 2, if they were going to trade for A.J. Brown, it was going to be while offloading Davante Adams.”
Head coach Sean McVay told reporters in late March that the Rams briefly explored trading Adams but decided against it. Considering they’re paying Adams and Puka Nacua a combined $33.8 million in 2026, adding Brown to that mix seems highly unlikely.
Jacksonville Jaguars
“The Jaguars are an interesting one to consider, because (general manager) James Gladstone, (executive vice president of football operations) Tony Boselli and (head coach) Liam Coen have been there now for a year-and-a-half, and they have taken big swings,” Breer said.
“They have a young piece in Brian Thomas Jr. who might actually appeal to the Eagles.”
Thomas’ name has appeared in trade rumors this offseason after a second-year regression in 2025, and he still has two years left on his rookie deal. If Jacksonville wants to take another “big swing,” perhaps it would try to one-up the Patriots’ offer by including Thomas in a trade proposal to Philly.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs’ potential interest in Brown could stem from the latest development with wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was sentenced to 30 days in jail earlier this week for violating the terms of his probation for his role in a multi-car crash in 2024.
“(Eagles general manager) Howie (Roseman) is going to keep working this,” Breer said of a Brown trade. “(People ask), ‘Why don’t they just agree to terms on a deal now?’ The reason the Eagles wouldn’t do that is because it makes sense for them to wait to see if something materially changes somewhere else, and lo and behold, something has changed somewhere else.
“The Chiefs maybe look at it now and say, ‘We won’t be able to rely on Rice, so we need to bring in reinforcements.'”
Breer added that the Chiefs were one of five teams that Brown told the Eagles he would accept a trade to along with the Chargers, Patriots, Bills and Rams.
Where the Patriots stand
While there may be a bit of a market for Brown when the calendar turns to June, New England still seems like the clear favorite to land him, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“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 A.J. Brown in New England and reunite him with Mike Vrabel,” Schefter said on the latest episode of his podcast.
The Eagles obviously would benefit from more teams being interested in Brown, since that could drive up his price tag. But as long as Philly and New England can agree to the right terms, Brown joining the Patriots is the most likely scenario.
