The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off winning the Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs and could be moving around some significant pieces. NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry published an article about some of the most interesting things he heard while attending the 2025 NFL Combine.
One of the things listed was the New England Patriots calling about the availability of wide receiver A.J. Brown.
“One person told me they heard the Patriots calling Philly asking if A.J. Brown was available. Shrug emoji on if that’s true, or what Philly’s answer was, but this much seems certain: New England will aggressively try to upgrade its wide receiver room.” h/t NBC Sports
A.J. Brown had a solid season, finishing with 67 catches on 97 targets for 1,079 yards (16.1 yards per reception) with seven receiving touchdowns. In the playoffs, he had 12 catches on 23 targets for 163 yards (13.6 yards per reception) with two receiving touchdowns. He’s under contract through the 2029 season, and this upcoming season has a $17.59 million cap hit with a $61.3 million dead cap hit.
Brown seemed displeasured with his role at times throughout the season and infamously began reading a book on the sidelines during the postseason. It will be interesting to see if A.J. Brown becomes available and if he can get paired back up with his former coach from Tennessee.
What does it mean for the New England Patriots?
The New England Patriots are showcasing that they are going to be aggressive on all fronts to bring quarterback Drake Maye some serious weapons to help elevate his game. Making the call and asking for one of the top wide receivers, who’s signed to a long-term contract, is one thing, but pulling off a deal for a wide receiver is another
With Tee Higgins not hitting free agency this offseason, could they be in the market for Davante Adams? It’s not likely as Adams reportedly prefers to play on the West Coast but there are still quality receivers like Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper and Chris Godwin at the top of the free agency list.
With more than $127 million in cap space, which leads the NFL by a wide margin, they can be serious contenders for the big fish in the free agency period. Don’t be surprised to see the New England Patriots land at least one major offensive weapon.