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The impending A.J. Brown trade from the Eagles reaches a significant benchmark next week, with the all-important date of June 1 arriving.
Philadelphia, as we’ve outlined before, benefits from waiting until the first of the month to move Brown, allowing them to spread his $43 million dead-cap hit over the next two seasons, instead of having it fully impact their 2026 books.
The latest from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer is that “the expectation” is a deal will come next week, with the Patriots remaining the likely landing spot, despite the two sides having yet to agree on compensation.
“I still believe the throughway to satisfying the Eagles’ desire for a first-round pick is pushing that return into 2028,” Breer wrote on Wednesday. “Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman has been amenable to such compromises in the past—he took a 2026 third-rounder for Haason Reddick in March 2024—because he has the job security to do so. Also, such a compromise was already discussed between the Eagles and a team other than the Patriots a couple of months ago, at which point Philly would’ve been accepting a pick three drafts away.”
RELATED: The Patriots Still Shouldn’t Operate As If A.J. Brown Is Theirs
Breer continues: “It’s a small difference. But the 2028 first-rounder is now two drafts away, which creates a parallel to what the Jets received for Quinnen Williams—the Cowboys centered their package for Williams, in fall 2025, around a 2027 first-round pick—that Roseman was using as a trade comp in the first place. … Anyway, Roseman has been smart and patient, allowing time to smoke out any suitors over the past couple of months in case unforeseen circumstances arise elsewhere. But I think in the end, as I said in the Monday column, this will wrap up the way we all expect it to (Brown reuniting with Mike Vrabel in New England).”
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday night that the Patriots are “not willing to give up a first-round pick as of right now,” adding intrigue to how close the two sides truly are to a deal.
The obvious compromise
As Breer mentioned, with the Eagles seeking a 2027 first-round pick and the Patriots seemingly unwilling to part with one, the obvious compromise here would be for both sides to settle on a ’28 first-rounder heading to Philadelphia in exchange for Brown.
The interesting part now becomes when the deal happens. As things stand, the Eagles have a bit of leverage with the way they’ve replenished their wide receiver room this offseason. They no longer need Brown, but are also in no rush to trade him, putting them in position to potentially see if another team would be willing to meet their asking price.
The Patriots, meanwhile, likely want to get Brown into their building sooner rather than later. With his pending acquisition hanging over the organization’s head, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has stayed away from the team throughout the offseason program—he’s presumably the next domino to fall after a Brown deal is official—and leaves New England’s wide receiver room looking primarily the same as it did last season. After releasing Stefon Diggs earlier this offseason, the Patriots signed Romeo Doubs to join Mack Hollins, Pop Douglas and now-second-year pro Kyle Williams, among others. The addition of Brown is what could help push this offense over the hump, and New England should want him on the field as soon as possible to begin getting on the same page with their MVP runner-up quarterback, Drake Maye.
MORE: A.J. Brown Receives Glowing Review From Patriots Player Amid Trade Rumors, Key June 1 Date
In the end, a 2028 first-round pick has been floated as the potential compensation for a Brown deal before, and would give Philadelphia the capital it’s looking for while also allowing the Patriots to deal a ’28 first instead of a ’27 in a talent-rich draft.
This feels like the way forward and could be finalized within a week.
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MIKE KADLICK
Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.
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