The Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots held joint practices for two days, which gave A.J. Brown an opportunity to duel against some of his old teammates before the two teams play Saturday in preseason. He was dominant, racking up more than a few highlights along the way.
Brown joined forces with Drake Maye, one of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 season, and it will be interesting to see if he can return to his elite production from 2022 to 2024.
But former head coach Eric Mangini, now an analyst for Fox Sports, is concerned about the balance of the offense due to the receiver’s personality.
Will A.J. Brown’s Addition Force Drake Maye To Feed the WR?
The Patriots released Stefon Diggs earlier in the offseason and added Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown to the wide receiver group. Diggs had a great year and, by all accounts, was an excellent teammate during his stint in New England.
The same can’t be said about Brown. While he was a dominant player on the field, for the past two years, he was deemed responsible for several off-field distractions. The relationship between player and franchise soured, and the Eagles ultimately traded him to the New England Patriots for a first-round pick.
In the past, Brown has made it clear that he values his volume on an offense. Mangini thinks that this could represent extra pressure for Drake Maye:
“The biggest thing for me is the A.J. Brown addition in New England. Is that more positive than the addition by subtraction in Philadelphia? And Stefon Diggs, for me, is a little bit more advanced than Brown. And when I say a little bit more advanced, I don’t mean skill-wise; I mean, here’s a guy that was on multiple teams.
“Now he’s in New England. He’s a different guy in the sense that he wants to be part of the team. It’s not just about his numbers. They talk about his leadership; he was a great teammate. I don’t think they’re saying the same things in Philly.
“A.J. wants to be successful regardless of whatever else happens, and that puts a lot of pressure on a young quarterback. I don’t know how Drake Maye is gonna deal with that.”
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“Is the AJ Brown addition in New England more positive than the addition by subtraction in Philadelphia?… AJ wants to be successful regardless of whatever else happens and that puts a lot of pressure on a young QB.”
Coach Mangini is concerned about the pressure on Drake Maye: pic.twitter.com/pVAXCjDNSu
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) August 20, 2026
The two wide receivers had similar production in 2025, but our PFN WR Impact Metric had different grades for them. Diggs was ranked #7 with an 82.9 grade, while Brown settled in at #12 with a 79.9 grade.
With both players moving teams during the offseason, we’ll see how their individual production compares after a full season’s worth of action.
