AJ Brown Addresses Patriots Trade For First Time
A.J. Brown has been an honorary Patriot for at least two months now, as NFL reporters have repeatedly disclosed that the New England Patriots were the only legitimate suitor for the Philadelphia Eagles‘ star receiver.
Brown officially became a Patriot on Monday.
The Eagles announced that they have agreed to trade Brown, 28, to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. As with all NFL trades, the deal is pending Brown’s physical.
While the NFL world has mentioned Brown’s name approximately 500 times per day in recent months, Brown had not addressed his football future until now.
First, Brown posted an Instagram carousel directed toward Philadelphia. The first slide is a photo of him holding up his hands in the shape of a heart.
The second slide is a written message, as seen below:
Eagles Nation,
Thank you for welcoming my family and me with open arms from day one. This city, this locker room, and this fan base will always hold a special place in my heart.
To my brothers in that locker room - thank you for going to battle with me every single day. The memories we made together, on and off the field, are something I’ll carry with me forever.
To the coaching staff, trainers, equipment staff, cafeteria workers, and the cleaning crew - thank you for everything you do behind the scenes to keep us going. There are so many people in the building who make it possible for us to go out there and compete, and I’m grateful for all of you.
Playing for this city has been an honor, and I’m thankful for every moment I had in midnight green.
Thank you, Philly. Much love always. God bless.
11″
Shortly after that, Brown posted two photos showing his younger self wearing a Tom Brady Patriots jersey.
While Brown grew up in Starkville, Mississippi, he became a Patriots fan as a child.
“When I was younger, my older cousin, I wanted to do everything like him, and he was a big Patriots fan,” Brown told Patriots legends Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski on their “Dudes on Dudes” podcast, which aired in February. “It’s that simple. There’s nothing complex about it. He was a Patriots fan. I was a Patriots fan. And it just went from there.”
Brown entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Brown was initially linked to the Patriots because Mike Vrabel, the Titans’ head coach from January 2018 to January 2024, had success with Brown in Tennessee.
The Eagles acquired him in a blockbuster draft-day trade in April 2022, and he casually proceeded to have the most successful tenure of any receiver in Eagles history.
According to NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, Brown recording at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his four seasons with the Eagles is “both the longest streak and most career seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards” in franchise history.
SI’s Jeff Kerr added, “Only one player in the 93-year history of the Eagles had 5,000 receiving yards in a 4-season span: A.J. Brown.”
The Eagles appeared in two Super Bowls during Brown’s run, losing Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs before exacting revenge and preventing the Chiefs’ three-peat by blowing them out in Super Bowl LIX.
The Patriots hope Brown can help the Patriots avoid a Super Bowl hangover. New England posted a league-best 14-3 record and reached Super Bowl LX in Vrabel’s first year last season, but the Seattle Seahawks routed them once they got there.
Most importantly, however, emerging superstar quarterback Drake Maye is entering his third year. All due respect to Stefon Diggs, Brown will be Maye’s first bona fide No. 1 receiver in his young NFL career. Not to mention, it’s a perfect fit.
“AJ Brown scored 18 TDs in receptions of 20+ air yards during his four seasons with the Eagles, the most in the NFL,” ESPN’s Field Yates wrote. “Drake Maye led the NFL in air yards/attempt and yards/attempt last year. The ideal fit for one of the best deep ball throwers in the league.”
The most glaring reason the Patriots fell short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February was a porous offensive line, leading Maye to spend most of the game on his back. But if Maye can stay upright in 2026, adding Brown will increase the odds of the Patriots capitalizing and winning the Super Bowl within Maye’s rookie contract window.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 7:34 PM.