With less than a week until AJ Brown is expected to be traded by the Eagles to the Patriots, we’re finally nearing the end of the offseason-long question of whether Drake Maye will have his most explosive receiver yet ahead of his third NFL season.
It has been a conversation that has dominated the last few months, and it would be fair to say that all parties involved, including the fans, are ready for the discussion to be over, with Brown on the Patriots’ 2026 roster.
Although nothing has been confirmed yet, and it won’t be until June 2 at the earliest, the assumption is that a deal has been struck between the two teams and just can’t be made official until next week. The Eagles continue to add fuel to the fire with their offseason moves, as they have now signed another wide receiver to their roster.
They have expressed their desire to keep Brown around, which isn’t exactly surprising given how crucial he has been to their success in recent years, but their roster decisions prove that’s far from the case.
The Eagles continue to show that they’re ready to move on from AJ Brown ahead of rumored trade
Despite having a 1-2 punch with Brown and DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia has made a long list of signings this offseason to bulk up their receiving corps.
Not only did they sign Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore, but they also traded with the Packers for Dontayvion Wicks and used a first-round draft pick on one of the top pass catchers of the 2026 class, Makai Lemon.
On top of that, in their schedule reveal video earlier this month, Brown was noticeably absent, which only furthered rumors that he knows he’s being traded and that is why he isn’t around the team facility this offseason.
Their latest decision to sign Brandon Hayes solidifies even more that they’re trying to add as many bodies to the wide receiver room as possible to help make up for the looming loss of Brown, who has been their WR1 since he was traded there four years ago.
It’s clear they’re ready to try Smith and Lemon in that role now and are done with Brown for good. It has been a long time coming, since there have been multiple instances of apparent conflict within the team involving the receiver, so the Patriots are about to benefit from their latest falling out.
That is a huge boost for Drake Maye, especially after losing Stefon Diggs earlier this offseason. Brown will take over as the WR1 and give the offense their first real explosive option in many years, which will hopefully make the quarterback’s job much easier this fall.
