A new receiving duo could be coming to New England in 2026.
The Patriots signed wide receiver Romeo Doubs earlier this offseason, and it remains rumored that they will likely trade for A.J. Brown after June 1. Rumors connecting Brown to the Patriots have lingered for months, and at this point, it is anticipated he will be dealt to New England come June.
Bringing in Brown with Doubs would give the Patriots an immediate upgrade at wide receiver—a position of need for the team. Doubs led the Packers with 724 receiving yards in 2025, while Brown recorded his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season for the Eagles.
“I have a ton of respect for him,” Doubs said of Brown. “He’s been a dude in this league for quite a long time. I understand when he first got in the league, Coach Vrabel was his coach. I understand it’s a lot of rumors going around. If he’s here, I’d love to have him here, and if he isn’t here, I’m still gonna wish him the best because he’s one of the guys in this league.”
The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl and quarterback Drake Maye finished as the MVP runner-up last season. With an improved receiving core, New England could go for an encore, or at the very least ensure Maye and the offense keep improving heading into Year 3 with their young quarterback.
Doubs spent the first four seasons of his career in Green Bay on a Packers team that didn’t really have a distinct No. 1 receiver. The Patriots also lack a No. 1 wideout after releasing Stefon Diggs. Doubs would be in line to prove he’s capable of becoming the No. 1 guy, but he’d likely be pushed down the depth chart if Brown is acquired.
“There is no No.1 guy in this offense,” Doubs said. “… I'm open to all roles. That’s just part of this league. The more you can do for the team, the more you show for yourself.”
Related: What Trade Compensation for A.J. Brown Would Look Like
New Patriots safety Kevin Byard, who signed with the team in free agency, also addressed the rumors surrounding Brown joining the team via trade later this offseason. Byard was on the Titans throughout Brown’s three years in Tennessee, and recalled Brown was “unstoppable” and couldn’t be covered one-on-one during that time. He has reunited with their former coach Mike Vrabel in New England, but it remains to be seen if Brown will do the same this offseason.
"Honestly I try to stay out of that part of the business,” Byard said of the rumors. “… We haven’t talked about it directly. I don’t know what’s the situation there. I hope it can work out, I hope he can come here and play for us, but that remains to be seen.”
Byard added, “If we’re able to get A.J. obviously he's an incredible talent. He’s a true No. 1 receiver in this league, so that would be awesome to pair up with him again.”
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EVA GEITHEIM
Eva Geitheim is an NFL writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or rewatching Gilmore Girls.
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