"The Eagles remain open to trading A.J. Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume shortly on or before June 1, likely culminating in a deal," Schefter wrote on X.
He added that one source described the Patriots as players who will "definitely be engaging then."
The same morning, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo confirmed that Brown was not expected to attend the Eagles' voluntary offseason program, which opened Monday.
Brown has not attended and is not expected to return for voluntary workouts.
His only obligation before a potential trade would be mandatory minicamp, which falls after the June 1 date anyway.
Why June 1 Matters
The cap math is the entire reason this deal has not already happened.
If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they absorb a dead cap hit of $43.4 million in 2026 alone. If they wait until after June 1, that figure drops to $16.4 million, spread across two seasons.
There is simply no financial incentive for Philadelphia to move before that date, and every incentive to wait.
Eagles fans have not handled the AJ Brown trade buzz and rumor mill well.
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) April 20, 2026
It's been one of the worst kept secrets in the NFL for a long time. Every major NFL insider has talked about it.
Yet, when it's discussed the reaction is: "He's not getting traded! F you!"
A lot of…
Brown's new team would be taking on $29 million guaranteed in 2026 cash, with his contract running through 2029 at a total value that becomes more manageable with each passing year as the cap continues to rise.
For New England, which sits near the top of the league in available cap space, absorbing that number is feasible in a way it would not be for most other contenders.
Eagles are expected to get a future 1st or 2nd round pick from the Patriots.
🚨🚨#Eagles are expected to get a future 1st round or 2nd round pick from the #Patriots
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) April 21, 2026
AJ Brown in June will join his close friend Mike Vrabel who never wanted him traded with the Titans pic.twitter.com/tZCvWK2NXg
The Eagles Have Already Moved On
Philadelphia has spent the offseason quietly building around a post-Brown receiving corps.
They signed Hollywood Brown in March, Elijah Moore shortly after, and traded for Dontayvion Wicks in early April.
Adding Wicks to a new one-year extension worth $12.5 million alongside a WR room that already has DeVonta Smith shows clearly that Howie Roseman is not waiting around for the Brown situation to resolve before reshaping the offense.
A.J. Brown is likely to become a Patriot post June 1, sources tell @AdamSchefter.
— ESPN (@espn) April 20, 2026
The Eagles remain open to trading Brown and conversations between the teams are expected to resume shortly on or before June 1, likely culminating in a deal, sources said. pic.twitter.com/MXboVyYBXc
Schefter noted the Eagles would be comfortable receiving 2027 and 2028 draft picks as compensation, which means they are also not counting on this week's draft to determine what they get back.
The Patriots-Brown pairing makes obvious sense on multiple levels.
Head coach Mike Vrabel coached Brown in Tennessee from 2019 through 2021, the stretch that established Brown as one of the best receivers in football.
Brown to New England reunites a quarterback in Drake Maye who needs a No. 1 option with the veteran receiver most qualified to be that for him.
Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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