Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has been linked to the New England Patriots for nearly the entire offseason. The original date in mind for the trade to happen was after June 1. Many around the league thought that meant Brown would be on his way to New England when June came.
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on Thursday that it may not be that black-and-white.
NFL World Is Tired of Waiting For A.J. Brown And Patriots’ Potential Trade
Rapoport reported on Thursday that the Eagles still want a 2027 first-round pick for their star receiver. However, he also reported that the Patriots are still not ready to give up a future first-round pick for Brown.
All that means is that Brown to the Patriots once June 1 comes around isn’t a done deal, and the wait to see what happens with Brown could drag further into the summer.
As one might imagine, this news was not well-received in the NFL world. People have heard about the link between the Patriots and Brown since last season ended, and yet here we are, with organized training activities underway and Brown still in Philadelphia.
The Patriots refuse to offer a future 1st-round pick in trade negotiations with the Eagles involving AJ Brown, per @RapSheet.
This situation was expected to reach its conclusion, but now it could drag on into the summer as Brown wants out of Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/remHCsLCbV
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 28, 2026
People are tired of the situation dragging on and have taken to social media to express their frustration.
“Please god let this end next week,” Ray Dunne wrote.
“This is extremely tiring at this point,” one user said about the trade.
“I’ll be so glad when this trade is over next week, tired of there being discussion about this!!” Another user said on X.
One Philadelphia blogger said the first-round pick was always the asking price for the Eagles, but they don’t blame the Patriots for waiting for the trade-out, hoping Brown’s value drops.
This was always the asking price. Patriots backing out last minute is not a shock. They thought they could wait out his value to drop.
I have said this from the beginning – it is literally cheaper to keep AJ.
Good luck with Romeo Doubs lol#Eagles #FlyEaglesFly #NFL https://t.co/BLwEV0nG3h
— FightPhillyFightNetwork (@FPFNetwork) May 28, 2026
Then, Savage Boston’s X account brought up New England’s minicamp dates, hinting at when the next deadline for the trade could be.
Patriots mandatory minicamp takes place June 15-17.
Probably want the deal down by then. https://t.co/dyxaUxWlL5
— Savage (@Savageboston) May 27, 2026
Lastly, another user named Drake Silver is simply tired of how cap space works in the NFL, which affects players being traded on specific dates.
“Loving the fakeness of this all. The NFL really doesn’t want this trade to seem like a pre-ordered deal, and I don’t know why,” he wrote. “Just change the rule. Cap stipulations holding up a deal in 2026 is stupid.”
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Brown is coming off the worst season of his Eagles tenure, finishing last year with 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games. He averaged 66.9 yards per game, the lowest in his four seasons in Philadelphia. According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, Brown posted an impact score of 80.9, ranking 21st in the league.
The next few weeks could be very interesting, whether the Patriots give in with a first-round pick, if Brown remains in Philly, or if another team comes out of the blue to snatch him.
