Eagles Trade A.J. Brown to Patriots for 2028 First-Round Pick
"Playing for this city has been an honor, and I'm thankful for every moment I had in midnight green."
— A.J. Brown
The Philadelphia Eagles have traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots. Multiple reports indicate the Eagles will receive a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection. The trade was announced on Monday, shortly after 4 p.m. ET, when the salary cap implications for trading Brown became less onerous due to the post-June 1 designation.
Trade Details
- Philadelphia Eagles receive: A 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick (the better of New England's two fifth-round selections)
- New England Patriots receive: Wide receiver A.J. Brown
The trade can be made officially as of 4:01 p.m. ET on Monday and is expected to become official on Tuesday. The Eagles and Patriots are scheduled to play each other during the 2027 regular season.
Salary Cap Implications
Prior to June 1, trading Brown would have cost the Eagles a $43.5 million dead money charge for the 2026 season. By executing the trade after June 1, the Eagles can split the remaining $43.8 million cap charge over the 2026 and 2027 seasons, saving approximately $1.6 million in 2026.
For the Patriots, acquiring Brown results in a 2026 cap hit of $6.79 million, comprising his $1.3 million base salary and a $5.49 million option bonus.
Player Background
Brown, 28, entered the NFL as a second-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2019. He was traded to the Eagles in 2022 for a first-round pick. Over his career, Brown ranks fourth in receiving yards (8,029) and touchdown catches (56). He holds the Eagles' two highest single-season receiving yard totals: 1,496 (2022) and 1,456 (2023).
In the 2025 season, Brown recorded 81 receptions for 1,028 yards and 7 touchdowns. He has achieved over 1,000 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons. In 2025, he ranked sixth among wide receivers in ESPN's receiver score metric and catch rate over expectation (+6.8%). He set career lows in yards per route run (1.96), average yards after the catch (3.3), and had his second-lowest average target depth (12.2).
Team Context
New England Patriots
Brown becomes the primary receiver for quarterback Drake Maye. He is reunited with head coach Mike Vrabel, who coached Brown in Tennessee from 2019 to 2021. Brown's contract with the Patriots covers four years and averages $32 million per season through 2029.
The Patriots also drafted offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round, signed free agent guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, and drafted tight end Eli Raridon in the third round. Running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson remain on the roster.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles prepared for Brown's departure by:
- Drafting USC receiver Makai Lemon in the first round of the 2026 draft
- Trading for Dontayvion Wicks from the Green Bay Packers
- Signing free agents Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore
These players will join DeVonta Smith in the receiving corps for the upcoming season.
Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman stated that the team views a future first-round pick as equivalent to a current first-round pick and that having multiple first-round selections in 2028 is valuable for team building. He expressed confidence that the 2028 draft class will be strong. Roseman noted that the trade came after speculation that Brown no longer wanted to remain with the Eagles and that the team no longer wanted to keep him.
Negotiation Timeline
- Weeks prior to trade: The Eagles and Patriots engaged in ongoing discussions regarding a trade for Brown. The framework for a trade was reportedly in place, but no final agreement was reached.
- Post-June 1: Trade talks accelerated. Reports indicated the Eagles were seeking a first-round pick (either 2027 or 2028). The Patriots were reportedly reluctant to part with a 2027 first-rounder but a 2028 first-round pick was under consideration.
- Monday, after 4 p.m. ET: The trade was announced.