Will an A.J. Brown trade happen today? Patriots player drops hint, live updates – USA Today

Editor’s Note: A.J. Brown has been traded to the New England Patriots, the teams announced. For full details and live updates about the NFL’s latest blockbuster trade, click here.
Is today the day a new chapter is written for star wide receiver A.J. Brown? That is the question the Philadelphia Eagles are facing as they assess the future of the 28-year-old star.
Several teams have been tied to the three-time Second-Team All-Pro receiver, but one team has emerged as the most likely suitor.
It’s one of the offseason dominoes next in line to fall, and this one has been inevitable after a tumultuous 2025 season for the Eagles offense.
Philadelphia has been aggressive in filling up the receiver room in expectation that this saga would come to a head this offseason. They traded for Dontayvion Wicks from the Green Bay Packers. Signed veterans Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Elijah Moore and traded up three spots in the first round of April’s draft to select wide receiver Makai Lemon 20th overall.
Here’s the latest on Brown’s future with the Eagles, when a potential trade may go down and key details of AJ Brown’s contract.
“These conversations have to sort of be restarted and they could happen quickly,” NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo said Monday, June 1, during an appearance on “Good Morning Football” about a potential trade involving Brown.
“I do expect him to be a Patriot. The window opens after June 1, but maybe doesn’t close until the start of training camp. Some conversations I’ve had over the weekend, it’s now closer to June 1 if not later tonight,” Garafolo said.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed Garafolo’s sentiments in a June 1 appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic. He acknowledged that the Eagles and Patriots hadn’t spoken “in weeks” about a trade, but that he expected a deal between the two parties to come together “in the next 24 to 48 hours.”
“That would be my best guess and best information,” Schefter said.
As the Eagles consider the future of their three-time Pro Bowler, his most likely destination appears to be the New England Patriots. The Patriots have had a long-standing interest in Brown, especially since Mike Vrabel coached him during his first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Although New England signed Romeo Doubs to help fill the gap left by Stefon Diggs, they could still benefit from having a proven No. 1 receiver to pair with Drake Maye.
A couple of Patriots players have reacted to the Brown trade rumors. Both were previously teammates with Brown.
Kevin Byard, who played with Brown on the Titans from 2019-21 and again with the Eagles in 2023, quote-posted one of Schultz’s reports with a “smiling face with sunglasses” emoji.
Meanwhile, Milton Williams – who played with Brown from 2022-24 with the Eagles – was a bit more subtle. He simply posted a GIF of Batman, a presumed nod to Brown’s “Swole Batman” nickname.
That added fuel to the fire amid the maelstrom of rumors connecting Brown to the Patriots.
It’s increasingly likely that Brown will fetch a future first-round pick in a trade.
Both The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and NFL insider Jordan Schultz report that the expected price for Brown will be a 2028 first-round pick. Schultz added that “other details of the trade package are still being finalized,” but that a trade between the Eagles and Patriots is “on track to happen.”
Such an agreement would represent a happy medium for the teams. Philadelphia would get the first-round pick it has long coveted in exchange for Brown, while New England would keep its current-year first-round pick in a 2027 NFL Draft class widely projected to be strong.
It’s all about the money. Trading Brown after June 1 would allow the Eagles to spread his $43.5 million dead-cap hit over two seasons instead of absorbing it all in 2026. This would save the Eagles just over $7 million in cap space in 2026, per Spotrac.com.
By comparison, trading Brown before June 1 would have resulted in the Eagles losing $20.1 million in cap space for the 2026 NFL season.
The Eagles “can’t do anything until four o’clock today to get the salary cap benefits” about a potential trade involving Brown, according to Garafolo.
Brown’s contract, as of writing, keeps him with the Eagles through 2029. Here’s a breakdown of what the contract includes and how much it would cost the franchise to trade him in 2026 with figures from OverTheCap:
2026
Brown has $113 million remaining over the four years left on his contract, which expires after the 2029 season. He is scheduled to make a fully guaranteed $29 million this year, consisting of a $28.75 million base salary and a $250,000 workout bonus.
USA TODAY Sports’ Jacob Camenker also contributed to this report.

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