A.J. Brown breaks silence on blockbuster trade to Patriots originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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A.J. Brown is finally a New England Patriot, ending all speculation regarding the 28-year-old wide receiver’s future with the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles traded Brown to New England for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick that is the better of New England’s two fifth-round picks. Surprisingly, the three-time Pro Bowler didn’t waste time breaking his silence on the monster deal, breaking down his feelings with ESPN’s Maria Taylor on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast.
“It wasn’t a specific moment (when he knew the Eagles would trade him),” Brown said to Taylor. “I would say just I think at the end of the season, I just realized that I felt like my time was up.”
“Still processing it. Still processing it. “I honestly took this time this week to really grieve and process my emotions around it. I’m going to miss this place. I’m going to miss teammates, miss the environment. That’s what I did. That’s what I’ve been focused on all week.”
Considering Brown spoke with Taylor less than 24 hours after Schefter reported the trade, the fact that he’s still attempting to wrap his head around the transaction is understandable. With Brown being involved in trade rumors for months, it’s likely he comprehended it was only a matter of time before he joined Drake Maye on the Patriots.
However, the trade is still fresh, and with Brown spending the past four seasons in Philadelphia, it still hasn’t registered that he’ll be competing with the Patriots in 2026-27 and beyond. It’s well documented that the former Tennessee Titans star was unhappy with his role with the Eagles last season, as he wasn’t afraid to call out the franchise for failing to get him the touches he felt he deserved.
Brown finished the year with 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 contests. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Ole Miss product fares during his first season in New England.
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