For the second time in his career, A.J. Brown has been traded.
Brown on Monday was traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots for two draft picks. The Eagles are receiving a 5th-round pick in 2027 and first-round pick in 2028 in return for Brown.
Brown has a 4-year, $113 million contract that includes $29 million guaranteed for the upcoming season. He will only count as $7 million against New England’s salary cap for the upcoming season, and he will count for nearly $11 million against the Patriots’ cap in 2027.
The Eagles waited until June 1 to make the trade so that they could split the dead cap money between 2026 (nearly $22 million) and 2027 (around $21.6 million).
There had been speculation all offseason that Philly would be trading Brown. Their offseason moves pointed to a split from Brown, as they drafted Makai Lemon, traded for Dontayvion Wicks, and signed Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore — all of whom are wide receivers.
New England, which lost in the Super Bowl last season, wanted to improve its receiving options for young quarterback Drake Maye. They added Romeo Doubs this offseason and have now acquired Brown.
Brown, 28, is entering his eighth NFL season. He has caught exactly 7 touchdowns in three straight seasons, while posting just over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two years.
Though Brown remains a productive receiver, the question is whether he will remain on good behavior. He helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl, but he also caused some distractions both on and off the field. Brown previously played under Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, which has given the Patriots the confidence to deal for him.
