A.J. Brown and Saquon Barkley
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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and running back Saquon Barkley.
Sometimes it’s your friends putting you on blast that stings the most.
In the most tongue-in-cheek way possible, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley did as much with teammate and wide receiver A.J. Brown and the fact he could wind up playing for the team he grew up loving.
“I don’t ever want to speak for A.J. Brown and I love him as a teammate and as a person,” Barkley said during an appearance on ESPN on Friday. “But I will say that he’s a huge Patriots fan and, like, always has been. When we played the Cowboys, Tom Brady was throwing him the ball before the game so, for him, he was like a kid in a candy store … I will give the inside scoop that A.J. Brown is a huge Patriots fan.”
While Brown might be a longtime Patriots fan, it’s also 1 of the few teams who might be a perfect fit in a trade for the 3-time NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl champion who appears headed out of Philadelphia after 4 seasons.
Pats Made Surprise Appearance in Super Bowl
The Patriots shocked the NFL by making it to the Super Bowl in just the 2nd year with quarterback Drake Maye and 1st year with head coach Mike Vrabel, who also happens to be Brown’s head coach for the 1st 3 seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans.
Brown’s time with the Titans and Vrabel included consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start his career, a Pro Bowl in 2020 and an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2020.
Video of Vrabel’s disgust/shock at finding out the Titans traded Brown to the Eagles on draft day in 2022 is a viral masterpiece — and seemed to be the fork in the road that led to Vrabel eventually being fired following the 2023 season.
Prior to the trade, Vrabel had gone out of his way to say as long as he was the coach of the Titans, Brown would be on the team.
“I mean, obviously, as the head coach, you want every player that you think can help you win on the team,” Vrabel said on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast in July 2023. “I certainly had, and still have, a great relationship with A.J. But then sometimes, in the business of professional sports, things go a different direction. And that’s where they went. I’m happy for A.J., and I’m happy for his family, you know. And we got compensated, and we tried last year.”
Brown Previously Targeted By Patriots
The Patriots may have actually tried to get Brown via a trade before the 2025 season but eventually settled on veteran free agent Stefon Diggs on a 3-year, $69 million contract.
Brown signed a 3-year, $96 million contract extension with the Eagles before the 2024 season.
At the time, the Patriots were clowned for even taking a shot at Brown. Which isn’t quite as funny now as it was in 2025.
“Patriots thought they would get Tee Higgins,AJ Brown in a trade, DK Metcalf in a trade, But instead they end up with 31 yr old Diggs coming off a torn ACL,” X user Alfy wrote in 2025.
“Patriots fans can stop lusting overAJ Brown now,” X user Symone wrote.
“Pats fans will always have that fictional hypothetical AJ Brown trade,” X user Nelson wrote on his official account.