The trade saga between the Philadelphia Eagles and their wide receiver A.J. Brown has dragged on all offseason long, with reports noting that the WR demanded a trade since Week 3 of the 2025 regular-season. The Eagles player was reportedly frustrated with a constant dip in his production over the last two years and his role within the offense. While recent developments hint that a deal is already in place to trade A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots, others suggest the talks could still drag out a bit longer.

Per senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, New England and Philly have reportedly “grappled” over part of the overall compensation package for the veteran receiver, which could potentially involve a “swapping of picks” element within the deal.

Anderson’s report suggests a trade could materialize within the next week. Because even if the Patriots and Eagles have already agreed on the framework of a trade, they are not expected to make anything official before June 1 since a post-June 1 deal would allow Philadelphia to spread Brown’s dead cap hit across the next two seasons.

From the Patriots’ perspective, there is reason to want the deal completed quickly. The team has already released Stefon Diggs just a year after signing him. On top of that, the Patriots never truly addressed the receiver position during the 2026 NFL Draft despite Eliot Wolf, Executive VP of Player Personnel for the Patriots, offering a different explanation afterward.

“That’s how the board fell,” Wolf said, about not adding a receiver. “There were some situations where there were some receivers that we liked that we – they just got picked in front of where we were. So, just how it fell, not a conscious decision, and I think we’ll probably be pretty competitive here with the undrafted guys at that position.”

Even so, the Patriots reportedly signed four rookie receivers as undrafted free agents: Nick DeGennaro, Cameron Dorner, Jimmy Kibble, and Kyle Dixon.

But realistically, none of them carries the caliber or proven production of A.J. Brown. However, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has painted a very different picture regarding the trade talks. Rapoport reported that the Patriots may still be unwilling to part ways with a first-round selection for Brown.

“I just don’t know that it’s like snap your fingers and the deal is done,” the insider said. “The two sides are where they had been, which is the Eagles wanting a first-round pick in 2027. The Patriots, the most likely destination — we’ll see if someone else arises — not being willing to give up a first-round pick as of right now. That means they’re not particularly close, and there’s a chance this could drag on for the foreseeable future.”

Philadelphia reportedly wants a 2027 first-round pick in exchange for Brown, and considering the receiver’s production over the years, that asking price aligns with his value. Across seven NFL seasons, Brown has posted six 1,000-yard campaigns, including one during the 2025 season. But according to Rapoport, New England remains hesitant about surrendering a future first-round pick.

That is exactly why, even though the Patriots are still viewed as the favorites to acquire A.J. Brown this offseason, the possibility remains that general manager Howie Roseman waits until the final possible moment before completing a deal. Whether that happens with the Patriots or any other team entirely remains the biggest question surrounding Brown’s trade reports.

Howie Roseman could wait until the last minute before trading A.J. Brown

Until a deal is officially completed, nothing is guaranteed regarding an A.J. Brown trade. Per Josina Anderson, one league source added:

“This is still Howie Roseman we are talking about and everyone’s still gonna hold all of their cards up until the start of June. So yes, a concern always gets floated here & there in these things that someone would swoop in at the last minute, and it would be a deal that Philly couldn’t refuse.”

At this point, it remains unclear whether New England will eventually agree to part ways with a first-round pick for Brown. But one thing has become obvious: Brown’s market around the league is already heating up, and recent reports have also linked him to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Just like the Patriots, Kansas City is also in desperate need of adding a proven veteran wide receiver. For starters, general manager Brett Veach has been hesitant to aggressively address the receiver room this offseason, with fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen being the franchise’s lone notable addition during the 2026 NFL Draft. On top of that, the Chiefs are now dealing with growing uncertainty surrounding Rashee Rice.

Rice was ordered to serve 30 days in jail after violating the terms of his probation and will remain unavailable until June 16, causing him to miss both OTAs and mandatory minicamp. But even beyond the legal issues, Rice reportedly underwent knee surgery recently, leaving his recovery timeline uncertain as well.

And with Rice’s off-field concerns combined with his injury situation, Kansas City is currently left with a very inexperienced receiver group overall. So while a trade for A.J. Brown would certainly make sense at this point, it remains worth watching whether Brett Veach ultimately decides to pursue the veteran star and address the void inside the Chiefs’ WR room.