Diggs and Brown on the Patriots may turn into an either-or scenario for the team if it becomes a reality.
A.J. Brown made it clear as day when he was on the Dudes on Dudes podcast with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, even if he could not contractually say it. He wants to play for Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots next season. The current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver has hinted at his frustration with being on the team and openly praised his former coach from his Tennessee Titans days.
However, is there a possible future in which both Brown and Stefon Diggs play together for the Patriots? The answer is, don't get your hopes up.
There are many parallels between Diggs and Brown. They're both veterans at this point in their careers. Diggs has already fit into that role as a veteran player in the Patriots locker room; however, he is being paid by the team on a WR1 contract, even though some argue he is not actually worth that kind of money.
Brown, who is a few years younger than Diggs (28), did show regression in 2025, as the numbers show. 78 receptions for 1,003 yards. That's seven catches shy of Diggs and only 10 receiving yards less than the Patriots' current veteran wideout.
What is there really to gain here with Brown, despite the concept that maybe his rumored unhappiness with playing for the Eagles is something that has held him back?
Diggs and Brown on the same team will most likely turn into an either-or situation. The cost of the two players at the same time could be costly, but most successful offenses only have one aging star in their receiving corps. Right now, the Patriots have Diggs.
Because something may seem meant to be on paper does not necessarily mean it should be. Brown and Vrabel do make a good pairing; they have in the past, but do the Patriots want to give up draft capital and who knows what else to acquire Brown from the Eagles?
The flip side of the coin is that if Diggs were to be on the move out of Foxborough in the coming weeks, don't be surprised if the buzz around Brown to the Patriots becomes even more of a reality.
Don't count on these two being on the same team in 2026, though.
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