A deal sending A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots could be finalized Monday afternoon, once the Eagles become eligible to absorb favorable cap treatment on the trade after 4 p.m. ET.
NFL Media's Mike Garafolo said Monday morning on "Good Morning Football" that conversations between the two sides need to be restarted but can move quickly. "I do expect him to be a Patriot," Garafolo said, per USA TODAY. "Some conversations I've had over the weekend, it's now closer to June 1 if not later tonight." He added that the Eagles "can't do anything until four o'clock today to get the salary cap benefits."
The cap math is central to the timing. Had Philadelphia moved Brown before today, the team would have absorbed a $43 million dead cap charge. Trading after June 1 cuts that immediate hit to $16.4 million, with the remaining $27.1 million deferred to 2027, according to Fox Sports. For New England, Brown's cap number for the rest of 2026 would drop to just $6.79 million.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported Friday that a framework was already in place. "My understanding is the framework is in place for a trade to be made early next week that will make A.J. Brown a Patriot," Breer said, per NBC Sports Boston. "I think it would sort of take someone backing out at this point, whether it's the Eagles or the Patriots, for it not to happen." He pegged the likelihood at "very high," while noting that a competing offer from a third team or an unexpected injury could still disrupt things.
A 2028 first-round pick is expected to be the centerpiece of the deal. Philadelphia has insisted on first-round compensation from the start, with Breer reporting that the Eagles' core demand has been clear: "If the Patriots will go there, I think it gets done." Earlier reporting from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport had suggested the sides were far apart, with the Eagles pushing for a 2027 first and New England unwilling to part with one, but the two sides appear to have closed that gap.
NFL insider Josina Anderson reported on May 28 that New England was "still casting good confidence" that a deal would get done, per NESN, even as the sides had been haggling over total compensation and a potential swapping of picks. A league source told Anderson that Eagles GM Howie Roseman would hold his cards close until June arrived.
New England's interest in Brown is tied in part to head coach Mike Vrabel, who coached the receiver during Brown's first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans before Brown joined the Eagles in 2022. The Patriots cut Stefon Diggs after last season and signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million deal, but have otherwise left their receiver room thin. Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright argued the team's inaction at the position all offseason signals the Brown deal was considered effectively done: the Patriots did not target a proven No. 1 receiver in free agency or the draft.
Brown posted 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025, and carries four years and $113 million remaining on his contract through 2029. He would join a Patriots receiver group that currently includes Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, and DeMario Douglas, among others.
