It’s official: Eagles trade A.J. Brown to Patriots
Birds receive two draft picks in return
The Morning Call: https://tinyurl.com/ywskrkms
PHILADELPHIA — The A.J. Brown era is over.
The Eagles traded their star wide receiver to the New England Patriots on Monday, ending a four-year run that included record-setting production, a Super Bowl championship and some of the biggest moments in franchise history.
Philadelphia received a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in return, the team confirmed.
The move closes the book on one of the most impactful acquisitions of the Howie Roseman era.
Brown arrived during the 2022 NFL Draft after the Eagles acquired him from the Tennessee Titans and immediately signed him to a long-term extension. Roseman called Brown “an elite player” at the time. Brown quickly proved him right.
In his first season in Philadelphia, Brown set a franchise record with 1,496 receiving yards and helped lead the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. A year later, he authored one of the greatest stretches by any receiver in NFL history, becoming the first player ever to record six straight games with at least 125 receiving yards.
His biggest accomplishment came during the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX championship season. Brown remained the focal point of the passing game and helped deliver the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
By the time he left, Brown had produced four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Philadelphia. He earned three Pro Bowl selections and three second-team All-Pro honors while becoming one of the league’s most feared receivers.
He also was a leader in the community, often contributing to charities and even buying people groceries in underprivileged neighborhoods.
Brown never hid his ambitions on the football field.
“I want to be the greatest,” he repeatedly said, including this offseason and during training camp last July.
That mindset helped make him one of the defining players of the Eagles’ recent championship window. Sirianni often praised Brown’s impact, once saying, “He changes games.”
But a failure to get him the ball caused him to speak out. But contrary to outside opinion, he was not a locker-room cancer. He was well-liked by teammates and voted a co-captain. Last November, he called out problems with the offense that most players and coaches wouldn’t mention publicly.
“It’s not just totally about my situation,” Brown said. “Obviously I want to win too. I think if we’re really focused on winning and doing our job, we can’t just slapping a Band-Aid over the defense doing their job and getting us out of trouble. At what point are we gonna pick up our slack as an offense?
“Week after week, we’re not doing our job on offense. … You can’t just expect to win at the end of the year.”
Brown’s departure had seemed inevitable for months.
Trade rumors have swirled throughout the offseason. The Patriots, coached by former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, emerged as the most frequently mentioned destination. Once the calendar flipped to June 1 — the date when NFL teams could defer bonuses and other guaranteed money — the Eagles pulled the trigger. The financial hurdles that had complicated a deal became easier for the Eagles to manage as a $20 million salary cap hit turned to $10 million.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next.
The Eagles still have DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and offseason addition Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. They also have extra draft capital to continue reshaping an offense that is undergoing significant changes under new coordinator Sean Mannion.
But replacing A.J. Brown will not be easy.
He leaves Philadelphia as one of the most productive receivers in franchise history. More than that, he leaves behind a highlight reel that includes a franchise receiving record, a historic six-game streak, multiple playoff runs and a Super Bowl championship.
For four seasons, Brown helped define the Eagles’ offense.
He often spoke about greatness. In Philadelphia, he found much of it.
He rewrote the Eagles’ record book. He helped take the franchise to two Super Bowls. He brought home a Lombardi Trophy.
Now he leaves with four straight 1,000-yard seasons, three Pro Bowls, three All-Pro selections and a place among the best receivers ever to wear midnight green.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.