New England Patriots
“I think we are going to continue to try to strengthen our team.”
A.J. Brown continues to get linked in trade rumors with the Patriots. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
April 21, 2026 | 7:06 PM
2 minutes to read
The writing appears to be on the wall that A.J. Brown will be playing in Foxborough during the upcoming 2026 season.
Even though the All-Pro wideout is still under contract with the Eagles, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Brown “is likely to become a Patriot post June 1.”
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“The Eagles remain open to trading AJ Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume shortly on or before June 1, likely culminating in a deal, per league sources,” Schefter added.
On Tuesday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked by reporters about Schefter’s report and whether or not it was a done deal that Brown was getting dealt to New England.
While Vrabel quickly responded “No” when asked if a deal has been struck, he didn’t push back against any talk that a trade with Philly could be completed later this summer.
“No. I mean, I think we are going to continue to try to strengthen our team,” Vrabel told reporters in Foxborough, including MassLive’s Mark Daniels. “The first focus is going to be on Thursday night and making sure that we get that right, and then we’ll focus on Friday.
Saturday is always an important day, just to continue to build a roster. Eliot and I will have numerous conversations with different teams. But our first focus is going to be, you know, on the draft.”
June 1 remains an important date when it comes to a potential deal for Brown, as Brown’s salary cap charge will be officially spread out over 2026 and 2027 after that date.
As such, the Eagles — who are still trying to compete for a Super Bowl — would be more willing to move on from Brown and absorb a smaller dead cap hit once that June 1 deadline passes.
If Philly dealt Brown before June 1, they’d be on the hook for a significant $43.3 million dead cap hit. If they trade him after June, that dead cap hit drops down to $16.3 million.
Brown, who played for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, would be a sizable pick-up to pair with Drake Maye on offense. Brown has six 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, helping the Eagles win a Super Bowl in 2024.
As the Patriots potentially play the waiting game regarding Brown, Vrabel and New England’s top brass still have work to do this week with the NFL Draft.
Vrabel was asked on Tuesday if any potential progress on a Brown trade might alter New England’s draft plans — especially when it comes to allocating a Day 1 or Day 2 pick on a wideout.
“No, we’re going to approach every draft with the same mentality,” Vrabel told Daniels. “That’s get the right players in the right spot to be able to draft the best player available that fits who we are, how we want to play, the versatility, the skill set, the ability to grow.
“There’s also, you know, measurables to this game. There’s measurables to NFL football, there’s height, there’s weight, there’s speed, so there’s a bunch of variables, but in our conversations with other teams are going to be surrounded around doing business on Thursday or Friday or Saturday.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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