Last week, former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman sent NFL fans into a frenzy.
The three-time Super Bowl champion posted a clip with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown from his appearance on Edelman and Rob Gronkowski’s Dudes on Dudes podcast. The GIF showed Edelman saying, “We’re all Patriots,” and Brown winking. It raised suspicions that Brown would be traded to the Patriots imminently, and Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez poured gasoline on that speculation by reposting Edelman’s GIF.
Not so fast, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter joined The Pat McAfee Show on Monday and was asked for an update on the Brown trade saga.
“My understanding recently was such that the Eagles weren’t in a rush to make a move,” Schefter said. “If they made the move, it would come after June 1. A lot of people have connected the Patriots to AJ Brown. That’s a logical landing spot for A.J. Brown. But what we don’t know is what’s gonna happen with New England from now until June 1.”
Schefter continued, “New England could, for all we know, bring back Stefon Diggs. They could go sign some of these other wide receivers that are out there. They could go draft a wide receiver. And if any of those things happen, then that would probably take them out of the A.J. Brown market.”
Schefter also cited the Deflategate scandal to remind everyone that the Patriots have “been through a lot with the league in recent years.” That could actually impact the Patriots’ ability to acquire Brown.
Schefter explained:
“They’re not gonna bend the rules and take chances and do handshake deals under the table,” Schefter said. “If A.J. Brown works for them in June, they’ll make a move. If it doesn’t, they’re not gonna do that. Other teams might be willing to look the other way and say, ‘OK, yeah, we’re good, Philly? We’re good? We’ll revisit this in April, but we’re all set.’ New England is not gonna do that. I’m just telling you right now. They’re not gonna sign off on something that would be against the spirit of the NFL rules.
If A.J. Brown is still available on June 1, and they still have a need on June 1, that becomes a very logical destination. But there’s no under-the-table handshake agreement between the two sides to get A.J. Brown to New England despite the rumors.”
Schefter echoed previous reporting that Brown would likely not be moved, if at all, until around June 1.
“After serious conversations with both the Rams and Patriots, the Eagles will not trade A.J. Brown at this time, according to multiple league sources,” The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported on March 13. “Both teams remain interested, but no move is imminent. If a trade were to happen, it would likely heat up closer to June 1.”
Brown has been an Eagle since the Tennessee Titans shockingly traded him to Philly during the 2022 NFL Draft. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel drafted Brown as the head coach of the Titans in 2018. That — plus Brown’s lifelong Patriots fandom, New England’s salary cap space, and New England’s need for a WR1 — has made New England Brown’s most logical landing spot.
Brown has had at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of his four seasons in Philadelphia, but his production dropped off in the scheme of the since-fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo last year. In 2025, Brown caught 78 of 121 targets for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns for a career-low 12.9 yards per catch.
Last October, Russini reported that Brown and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts were “not that close these days” after having a strong bond in high school, college, and Brown’s first years with Hurts in Philadelphia. “They’re friendly, but as one Eagles player described it: ‘It’s functional, professional.'”
Brown has consistently expressed frustrations over the past two seasons, as seen here.
