A.J. Brown is finally a New England Patriot. After months of speculation, sideline outbursts, and a 2025 season in which his frustration with the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense became impossible to ignore, the Eagles traded Brown to New England in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The deal, which became official after the June 1 salary cap deadline, ended a successful tenure that included a Super Bowl 59 win but also marked a steady erosion of the partnership between Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts that once defined Philadelphia’s offense.
A.J. Brown Addresses His Relationship With Jalen Hurts
The friendship between Brown and Hurts predates their time in Philadelphia. Hurts hosted Brown on a recruiting visit to Alabama, and although Brown chose Ole Miss, the two stayed close through college and into their early NFL careers.
Hurts reportedly pushed hard for the Eagles to acquire Brown from the Tennessee Titans in 2022, and the trade paid immediate dividends. Brown recorded 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season, Hurts finished as the MVP runner-up, and the Eagles reached Super Bowl 57. They were viewed as best friends, but things aren’t the same now.
In an exclusive sit-down with NBC’s Maria Taylor, Brown was asked about the trade, his frustrations last season, and the relationship with Hurts, which became a big storyline.
“Not as close as we once were,” Brown said about his relationship with Hurts. “And I believe that’s fine. It’s like there’s no bad blood. There’s actually still a lot of love. I love him. I love him to death. I want him to succeed and accomplish all the things that he wants to accomplish.”
“I didn’t truly understand why our friendship became the center of everybody’s attention when it came to football because, you know, looking back on it, we haven’t been as close as we were a couple of years now, but that is that didn’t stop anything,” he continued. “So, it’s just kind of strange… I say it on camera, I got nothing but love for him, you know, I want him to do well and accomplish everything his heart desires.
When Taylor asked why things changed between them, Brown’s answer was simple. “Nothing happened,” he said. “People just grow apart, nothing happened between me and him or our families, wives, anything. Nothing like that ever happened, but you know, life happens, you just look up sometimes, and you just find yourself drifting away, you know, and that’s fine, and I think both parties accepted that.”
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Brown also revealed during the interview that his behavior throughout the 2025 season, while controversial, was intentional. He believed his public frustration would push the offense to respond, as the team wasn’t playing well.
For Hurts, an offense without Brown could be beneficial. Under the new offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, the Eagles quarterback can distribute the ball across Devonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dallas Goedert, Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, and Eli Stowers without anyone complaining about their usage.
For Brown, New England offers a genuine reset. He reunites with Mike Vrabel, the head coach who drafted him 51st overall in 2019 with the Tennessee Titans.
Brown will be catching passes from Drake Maye, who led the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance in Vrabel’s first season. Maye is a better thrower of football than Hurts, and he can bring the best out of the 28-year-old wideout.
According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, Brown posted an impact score of 80.9 last season, ranking 21st in the league. However, in New England, he can return to his 2024 level, when he ranked third in the league with an impact score of 91.4.
