A wide receiver showdown is brewing in New England’s front office as they weigh a monumental 2026 free agency choice: Stefon Diggs or A.J. Brown? The free agency world is highly competitive, and if the Patriots need stability at the wide receiver position, they might need to make the decision quickly, as they’re not the only ones in pursuit.

“My guess would be, this would be an either or proposition based on the age, the injury history, the career trajectory, and the expense of the two players,” Albert Breer explained, “If you look at A.J. brown’s numbers this year, they were, pretty significantly down from where they were a couple years ago in total yards, yards per catch. I can certainly see having one aging star receiver on the team, as they did last year with Stefon Diggs. It’s just hard to see two of them on the team at the same time.”

NFL insider Albert Breer recently jumped in. In a clip shared by Carlos A. Lopez on X, Breer explained why the New England Patriots likely wouldn’t keep both Diggs (32) and Brown (28).

Diggs is currently on a three-year, $63.5 million deal with New England. In his first season with the Patriots, he posted 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. The team managed to win the AFC East division title, earning themselves a place in the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

However, the Patriots face a tough financial decision regarding Diggs, as he is set for a $26.5 million cap hit in 2026. According to Mark Daniels and Karen Guregian of Mass Live, the team could save as much as $20.8 million by releasing him with a post-June 1 designation.

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Of course, cutting Diggs would mean losing a major part of the passing game. He became the first Patriots receiver to cross 1,000 yards in a season since Julian Edelman in 2019.

If the Patriots decide to move on from Diggs, that could increase their interest in trading for Brown, who currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown also has a connection with head coach Mike Vrabel from their time together in Tennessee, which could make the move even more practical.

Mike Vrabel’s A.J. Brown remarks hint at what the Patriots want at receiver

Brown played under Vrabel from 2019 to 2021, so there’s already familiarity there. When asked about the possibility of a trade, Vrabel didn’t confirm anything directly, but he didn’t shut it down either.

“I think that we’ll look at everything that we can look at to add to our roster,” Vrabel said, as per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. “There are a lot of things that go into trades. There’s a lot of back and forth and taking on compensation. And so I’m sure there’ll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades, not only this week, but as we prepare and get closer to the draft.”

However, a slight decline in Brown’s performance may also be the reason why the Patriots may not be displaying urgency regarding the trade.

Brown’s best performances came during the 2022 and 2023 seasons when he was part of the Philadelphia Eagles, earning 1,496 yards and 1,456 yards, respectively. In fact, in six out of seven seasons in the NFL, the WR has consistently crossed the 1,000-yard mark.

During the past two seasons, Brown’s performance has slightly decreased, earning 1,079 yards in 2024 and 1,003 yards in 2025, although he managed seven touchdowns during both seasons.

Another factor is the money, as the timing is also critical for the trade, given that Brown is under a three-year, $96 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, with the team obligated to give him $28 million annually.

If the trade happens before June 1, the Philadelphia Eagles will be left with $44 million in dead cap, while if they choose to make the trade after the deadline, the situation could be more manageable for the team, giving them more leverage, especially when the Patriots need to enhance the roster without causing any cap problems.

Ultimately, the trade has to make both football and financial sense for the teams involved.