On Thursday, Julian Edelman posted a GIF on X (formerly Twitter) that shows him saying, “We’re all Patriots.” That’s innocuous enough. Edelman won three Super Bowls and was Super Bowl LIII MVP with the Patriots. He played his entire NFL career in New England. Of course, he eternally believes in the Patriot Way.
But then, the GIF panned to Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown winking.
The GIF is a clip from Brown’s appearance on Edelman and Rob Gronkowski’s Dudes on Dudes podcast from last month. In the episode, Brown explained why he grew up a die-hard Patriots fan and played it coy when Gronk asked if Brown was “gonna be a Patriot.”
Edelman’s post predictably went viral, fueling ongoing rumors and reports that Brown will soon be traded to the Patriots. But Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez sent Patriots fans into a full-on frenzy by reposting Edelman’s GIF. Simultaneously, photos surfaced of Brown working out with newly signed Patriots safety Kevin Byard III.
Brown and Byard were teammates on the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2021 and were coached in Tennessee by now-Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Brown has been the subject of rampant trade speculation all offseason.
Last Friday, March 13, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported, “After serious conversations with both the Rams and Patriots, the Eagles will not trade A.J. Brown at this time, according to multiple league sources. Both teams remain interested, but no move is imminent. If a trade were to happen, it would likely heat up closer to June 1.”
The Rams are largely believed to be “out” on Brown, and the Patriots are the lone remaining interested trade partner.
“I can tell you, based on my reporting, there were four teams involved, and this was A.J. Brown’s list,” Albert Breer said on his “The MMQB” podcast this week. “I think he knew the Eagles didn’t want to trade him to an NFC team, so the four AFC teams were the Patriots, the Bills, the Chargers, and the Chiefs. The Bills took themselves off the market by trading for DJ Moore. The Chargers and Chiefs didn’t show much interest at all. That left the Patriots.”
Breer added that the Patriots are “pretty determined not to bid against themselves,” which has created “a staring contest” between the Eagles and Patriots.
After the 2026 NFL Combine in late February, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that teams around the league felt that Philadelphia’s “asking price remains too high,” likely involving at least one first-round draft pick. Around the same time, the Boston Herald‘s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed reported that the Patriots felt at that time that “the asking price is unserious” for Brown.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on March 4 that the Eagles wanted a “Quinnen Williams-type deal.” The Dallas Cowboys traded their 2026 second-round draft pick, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the New York Jets in exchange for Williams at the Nov. 4 trade deadline last year.
Brown has been an Eagle since Philly traded for him during the 2022 NFL Draft. He eclipsed 1,400 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons in Philadelphia. While his production has dipped since then, he still posted at least 1,000 receiving yards in 2024 and 2025. Despite WR1 numbers and winning Super Bowl LIX, Brown has consistently expressed dissatisfaction since the 2024 season.
Brown would instantly become Patriots 23-year-old quarterback Drake Maye’s No. 1 target. New England released veteran Stefon Diggs, who led the team in receiving during the 14-3 Patriots’ improbable Super Bowl run last season. Maye finished second in NFL MVP voting to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Patriots were mollywhopped by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LIX.
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