The Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown grew up as a fan of the New England Patriots. He stated that ‘he cried his eyes out’ when the Patriots did not select him in the 2019 NFL Draft, and selected N’Keal Harry with the 32nd pick. Brown eventually went to the Tennessee Titans, but seven years into his career in the NFL, it seems that Brown may be on the verge of fulfilling his draft day dream.

“Per Source: AJ Brown will be speaking with management at one of the big, fancy condo developments in the Seaport this week regarding residency. I was asked to omit which specific one,” wrote Jim Murray of 98.5 The Sports Hub on X.

A.J. Brown will be searching for residential options in Seaport, which is a district located on the waterfront of South Boston. The area is located approximately 21 miles away from the New England Patriots’ home, Gillette Stadium. Thus, intensifying the possibility of his move away from the Philadelphia Eagles. The area where Brown is expected to move if his move to the Patriots gets completed is a famous location known to be home to many former players on the team, as well.

Last month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Brown’s trade to the Patriots is “likely” to happen after June 1. Now, in the NFL world, June 1 plays a crucial role as it is an unofficial deadline in the NFL salary cap calendar regarding player releases and trades. This means that if the Eagles trade Brown before the deadline date, they would reportedly face a $43.4 million dead-cap hit.

However, by waiting until after June 1, they can split that hit across two years, $16.4 million in 2026 and $27.2 million in 2027, making the move much more manageable for General Manager Howie Roseman. As a result, many analysts, including ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, believe there’s a “wink-wink understanding” between the Eagles and Patriots.

If this deal goes through, Brown will become another NFL star who ended up playing for the team he supported as a child. Previously, Pittsburgh Steelers legend Le’Veon Bell stood as an example of this. Bell grew up admiring the New York Jets and eventually played for them after spending six seasons with the Steelers, signing with the Jets in 2019.

While his love for the Patriots is a well-established reason, he would want to join the franchise, but another is the opportunity to play under Mike Vrabel. When the Tennessee Titans picked A.J. Brown in the 2019 NFL Draft, Vrabel was the head coach of the Titans. It was under the Pats coach that Brown had his first Pro Bowl selection. Despite early friction where Brown admitted he “hated” Vrabel, they have maintained constant contact.

On the Dudes on Dudes podcast with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, he spoke very highly of Vrabel’s leadership and accountability style. Likewise, Mike Vrabel also shares a mutual respect for the 28-year-old WR. “I think the relationship with players, and specifically asked about AJ, has meant a lot,” Vrabel said in February 2026. “I’ve watched him grow. I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him.”

As things stand, the official announcement regarding Brown’s trade has not yet been made. Amid that, the Eagles have seemingly decided to look for Brown’s replacement.

How does the A.J. Brown trade activate DeVonta Smith?

In the 2025 NFL season, A.J. Brown played as the WR1 for the Philadelphia Eagles, while DeVonta Smith was the WR2. For Brown, it was his seventh NFL season, where he recorded 1,003 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns in 15 regular-season games. On the other hand, Smith played  17 regular-season games, and the 27-year-old racked up 1,008 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.

With Brown set to depart, it looks like Smith could be the man to become the main receiver of passes from QB Jalen Hurts.

“I’m hearing the two have hit it off, and Jalen Hurts likes how Sean Mannion structures the offense,” said Fowler on the Sunday morning edition of SportsCenter. “Jalen’s also been throwing offsite with some of his receivers, DeVonta Smith, who’s his new No. 1, and new veteran Elijah Moore. He’s been getting after it, trying to get ready for this new offense. Eagles are going to look a lot different in 2026… Let me put it this way, A.J. Brown’s not at these workouts, so it’s sort of understood right now.”

Heading into the 2026 season, the Eagles have DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, and Hollywood Brown as their top wide receiver options. Surely Smith would be eager to lead the pack. But if A.J. Brown’s potential trade falls through, it could eventually change the order of the starting wide receivers for the Eagles.