The New England Patriots passing offense was one of the best in the NFL during the 2025 regular season, but it struggled to produce at the same level against superior competition in the playoffs. There are several reasons for that, and a multitude of potential fixes including upgrading at the wide receiver position.
Don’t get us wrong, the Patriots’ wideouts performed at a surprisingly high level compared to the group’s 2024 performance. However, it was missing something: a true No. 1 capable of making game-changing plays in an instant and single-handedly changing how defenses try to counter New England.
Players like that do not grow on trees, and neither are they cheap to bring aboard from outside. However, when it comes to the pursuit of a Super Bowl, drastic-looking measures might be necessary — measures such as making a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for veteran wideout A.J. Brown.
Let’s assess the argument for and against such a move.
Why the Patriots should pursue an A.J. Brown trade
Proven WR1: As noted above, the Patriots lacked a true No. 1 wide receiver in 2025. They did get solid contributions from Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, who all filled that position at various points, but none of the three are true game-changers deserving of the WR1 label. Brown, on the other hand, continues to fill that role for the Eagles and would supposedly give New England its first real top-tier No. 1 receiver since Brandin Cooks in 2017. He has the makings of such a player, after all, both because of his proven production and elite athletic profile. Brown could be a volume target for Drake Maye with some serious big-play potential.
Trickle-down effect: The value of such a WR1 lies not just in what he can directly provide for a team, but also the indirect effect his presence would have on the composition of an offense. Brown would be a player opposing teams would have to account for, which consequently would give New England’s other receivers more favorable matchups. Take the AFC Championship Game as an example: the Patriots would likely not have Kayshon Boutte covered by All-Pro Patrick Surtain, but rather by Riley Moss — a one-on-one Boutte would be more likely to win that his battle with Surtain. Meanwhile, Surtain vs. Brown would project as a much more level fight.
Roster shuffling: We will get to the topic of compensation in a second, but before we do we need to talk about Brown’s impact on the roster itself. Adding him would probably make another player expendable, and there are plenty of candidates for that to happen. Fact is, after all, that none of Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas are roster locks for 2026. While Douglas plays a different role, any of the other three could be removed from the team in the aftermath of a Brown trade (or in Boutte’s case potentially be involved in the move itself). If that happens, adding him to the mix could potentially result in a relatively insignificant cap charge: Brown, after all, would come with a cap number of either $6.79 million or roughly $29 million depending on some option bonuses embedded into the pact.
Character fit: Even though Brown appears to be unhappy with the state of the Eagles and his position within the organization, that specific situation needs to be looked at separately from what he would provide to the Patriots if traded there (particularly considering he was a fan of the team growing up and still holds it in high regard). The 28-year-old, after all, was a three-year captain in Philadelphia for a reason: his teammates gravitated toward him and his leadership, and it is no stretch of the imagination that the same would happen in Foxborough.
Mike Vrabel connection: The Patriots being a potential landing spot in case Brown gets traded is primarily due to one man: head coach Mike Vrabel, under whom Brown was drafted by the Titans in 2019. The two spent three seasons together in Tennessee, and as the wideout admitted on the latest episode of the Dudes on Dudes podcast featuring ex-Patriots Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, he has a good relationship with his former coach despite what he described as somewhat of a rocky start.
Why the Patriots should not pursue an A.J. Brown trade
Asking price: From a Patriots perspective, trading for Brown would make fiscal sense regardless of the aforementioned option bonuses. The Eagles, on the other hand, would take on a massive $43.5 million dead cap hit were they to move on from Brown before June 1 (and even afterwards it would still be $27.2 million for the 2026 season). In order for that pill to swallow, Philadelphia might be asking for some steep compensation. What that would look like is anybody’s guess, but the Patriots might have to be willing to part ways with some valuable assets either in the draft or on their current roster to manufacture a deal.
Wear and tear: Brown entered the NFL in 2019 and has since appeared in a combined 118 regular season and playoff games. And while his body has mostly held up well, he also missed a combined six games over the last two seasons while dealing with hamstring and knee issues. Those would not be a disqualifier per se, and neither would his previous exposure. However, combined with the asking price the Patriots might find themselves in an uncomfortable position.
Alternatives: Rather than spending a high draft pick or possible starter-caliber player to acquire a soon-to-be 29-year-old Brown, the Patriots might feel better about exploring alternative options. Maybe they feel good about the talent they have on their roster, primarily Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams? Maybe they see the draft as a more attractive pipeline to improve at wide receiver, with players such as K.C. Conception, Denzel Boston or Omar Cooper Jr. possible candidates to be added in the late first round? It is not entirely unrealistic that a team still in the early stages of its rebuild would feel better about that direction rather than going after a player like Brown.
A.J. Brown to the Patriots is an interesting thought experiment because of the potential implications a trade would have on a team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2025. Because, make no mistake, he would be the team’s No. 1 wide receiver if brought aboard and instantly become its most dangerous downfield weapon.
However, he also would not come cheap and likely disqualify the Patriots from pursuing other candidates such as the potential first-round rookies mentioned above or another popular trade target, Raiders edge Maxx Crosby. That trade-off might be worth it, but there are no right or wrong answers until the Patriots’ actual performance on the field in 2026 with or without any of those players mentioned.
As for Brown himself, he likely would welcome a change of scenery and getting traded to New England. Whether the Eagles see it the same way remains to be seen and could be the ultimate hold-up.
From a Patriots perspective, though, one thing is true either way: a talent such as Brown would add more quality to an offense still in need of it despite some promising signs in 2025.
So, what do you think? What trade package would you present to the Eagles? Would you present one at all? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.