The newest member of the New England Patriots receiving corps, A.J. Brown, is ready to show the NFL world he is still one of the best wide receivers in the game today, despite what became a lackluster 2025 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, for one reason or another.
One prominent ESPN NFL analyst had a unique way to describe how he believes Brown is going to answer his critics in 2026.
Jason McCourty Sets High Expectations for A.J. Brown
During a segment on ESPN’s “Get Up,” former Patriots defensive back and Super Bowl champion Jason McCourty revealed his high expectations for Brown.
“I think he’s going scorched Earth in his revenge tour,” McCourty said. “He’s gonna be like that bad kid in the summer who’s been forced to stay inside and do summer reading.”
“Now he’s coming back to the playground to reassert his dominance,” McCourty added. “Being moved on by Philadelphia, traded to the New England Patriots, he is going to be with a superstar quarterback in Drake Maye and an offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels that knows how to get his key players the ball in positions to succeed. So, I’m looking for a big season from A.J. Brown.”
Former Patriot @JasonMcCourty on AJ Brown
🎥: @GetUpESPN
“I think he’s going scorched Earth in his revenge tour. He’s gonna be like that bad kid in the summer that’s been forced to stay inside and do summer reading.”
— Savage (@Savageboston) July 23, 2026
Brown, who recently landed at No. 79 on PFN’s Top 100 Players, was traded to the Patriots by the Eagles back in June in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick after the salary cap hits post-June 1 made a trade easier for the Eagles to absorb.
BUILD YOUR OWN TOP 100: PFN’s FREE NFL Top 100 Builder
Brown expressed displeasure with his involvement in the Eagles’ offense last season, frustrated by his lack of targets and the Eagles’ lack of aggressiveness, including (but not directly mentioned) quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Despite that, Brown still surpassed 1,000 yards for the fourth straight season and sixth time in his seven-year career. According to PFN’s WR Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 79.9, ranking 12 th in the league.
Brown now gets to work with Maye, who threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2025, finishing runner-up to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in one of the closest MVP voting results in recent memory. Stafford beat out Maye by just five points (366-361) and earned just one more first-place vote (24-23).
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
What Brown Can Add to New England’s Offense
Brown gives Maye and the Patriots the alpha-male wide receiver they’ve been looking for some time now. Stefon Diggs did reach 1,000 yards last season, but he only had four touchdowns and was released this offseason as a cap casualty.
Kayshon Boutte (551) and Mack Hollins (550) were the only other Patriots wide receivers to reach 500 receiving yards in 2025. Tight end Hunter Henry was second in receiving with 768 yards.
The Patriots will enter the 2026 season as one of the favorites in the AFC, but face a tougher schedule than in 2025. The addition of Brown and the potential for a more explosive offense will make that run easier for New England.
