The New England Patriots made a concrete move to acquire wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason, and Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said no.
According to Philadelphia radio host Anthony Gargano, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf offered a first- and third-round draft pick for the three-time Pro Bowler, and Roseman turned it down.
Brown caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025 while reportedly asking out of Philadelphia multiple times during the season. His future has been one of the NFL’s most-followed offseason storylines heading into the new league year.
The report was circulated on Friday by NFL writer Dov Kleiman on X.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: The Patriots offered the Eagles a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick to trade for AJ Brown, per @AnthonyLGargano
Howie Roseman said no.
😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/twbTFfCNTz
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 6, 2026
Philadelphia’s asking price is considerably higher than what New England offered. NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday on Good Morning Football that the Eagles want a first-round pick and a second-round sweetener, pointing to the Quinnen Williams trade as the benchmark.
Insider Reveals Vrabel's Deep Admiration for A.J. Brown as Patriots Trade Speculation Heats Up
Insider Reveals Vrabel’s Deep Admiration for A.J. Brown as Patriots Trade Speculation Heats Up (Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
“My understanding is teams are making offers to the Eagles for a trade and to this point they have not gotten to the point at which the Eagles would make the deal. In their mind, it’s a Quinnen Williams-type deal. We’re talking a potential first-round pick with a second-round sweetener on it. That’s kind of where it is for the Eagles to start to consider moving A.J. Brown. If they don’t get close to that point, I don’t think Howie Roseman moves him,”
Garafolo said on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
“We’re in the business of keeping great players. And AJ is a great player,” Roseman told reporters at the NFL Combine.
The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed reported that New England views Philadelphia’s demands as “unserious,” though league sources still believe a deal is possible if the price comes down.
New England head coach Mike Vrabel, who coached Brown with the Tennessee Titans, has kept his public comments measured ahead of the league’s pre-tampering window.
Why Howie Roseman Has the Leverage in Any A.J. Brown Trade Negotiation
Insider Reveals Vrabel's Deep Admiration for A.J. Brown as Patriots Trade Speculation Heats Up
Insider Reveals Vrabel’s Deep Admiration for A.J. Brown as Patriots Trade Speculation Heats Up (Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
Part of Roseman’s steadiness is tied to the calendar. Moving Brown before June 1 would cost Philadelphia roughly $43.5 million in dead cap charges. After that date, the financial hit drops sharply.
Brown is also under contract through 2029. No team can use contract pressure against Philadelphia. Roseman simply waits for an offer that matches what he wants.
The field of potential buyers has also narrowed. The Buffalo Bills, who had been tracking the situation, exited Thursday after completing a trade for Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Thursday that “it certainly seems like it’s going to be the Patriots or the Eagles for A.J. Brown, with an answer likely coming pretty soon.”
Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane also noted the Eagles are inclined to deal Brown only within the AFC. The Ravens and Chargers are in the picture, but New England stands as the most likely destination.
If Roseman doesn’t receive what he’s looking for, Brown stays in Philadelphia in 2026.
The legal tampering period opens March 9. League sources suggest a resolution is near. The Patriots have little time left and fewer options.