By pairing Drake Maye with an elite wide receiver threat, New England secures a dynamic successor to Stephon Diggs and re-establishes their status as championship contenders.
One landscape-shifting trade just wasn't enough for the NFL as the June 1 threshold was crossed. A short while after defensive end Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, the New England Patriots executed another blockbuster deal.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots have landed wide receiver A.J. Brown after completing a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The move sets the Patriots up to repeat another deep run in the NFL postseason after suffering a Super Bowl exit to wrap up the 2025-26 season.
For more on the trade and what Brown brings to New England, Patriots Roundtable writer Eddie Marotta has more.
The long-awaited trade is finally complete now that post-June 1 trades are possible. The important date allows teams more flexibility with departures as it allows clubs to defer some of the salary cap consequences to the next year.
In this case, the Eagles will save around $50 million pulling the trigger on the trade while also netting a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-rounder, which headlines the return.
Brown will give Patriots quarterback Drake Maye one of the top wide receivers in the league to target going into 2026, another clear upgrade to the wide receiver corps that lost wide receiver Stephon Diggs this offseason but added former Green Bay Packers wideout Romeo Doubs.
Brown reeled in 78 receptions for 1,003 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns last year. He's crossed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of the last four seasons.
Over the same four-year stretch, the Patriots have had only one receiver amass such yardage: Diggs last year with 1,013 receiving yards. Diggs found the endzone four times in 2025.
This move sets the Patriots up to continue to contend inside of a contested AFC East division and beyond as the team hopes to return Super Bowl conversations immediately.
