Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
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Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown
The Buffalo Bills are not only out of the mix for one of the top wide receivers on the trade market, they also appear forced to watch him land with a top division rival.
Prior to pulling off a major trade landing DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears, the Bills were considered a top landing spot for fellow receiver A.J. Brown. Those rumors fizzled a bit after the Bills acquired Moore, but they were still seen as a dark-horse candidate amid a bid to super-charge the wide receiver room.
But an update from an NFL insider points to the New England Patriots as the destination for Brown, with the deal likely coming together just a few weeks before training camp.
Citing league executives, The Athletic’s Mike Sando reported that the Eagles and Patriots are planning to finalize the deal for Brown in June. The executive added that New England’s smaller-scale additions to the receiver room were really just a prelude to Brown.
“Execs expect the Patriots to acquire receiver A.J. Brown from Philadelphia in June, once the salary-cap implications become more tenable for the Eagles,” Sando wrote. “They disagree over what Romeo Doubs adds at the position on a deal worth $17 million per year, which ranks 27th among receivers.”
Sando went on to cite an executive who shared some criticism of the Patriots for landing Doubs, adding that they are still taking a risk by adding Brown.
“I was not high on Doubs,” the executive said. “They did not improve on the field from (Stefon) Diggs. Maybe they did off the field from a headache standpoint. It seems just a matter of waiting until June 1 passes for Philly to trade A.J. Brown, who in my opinion is a declining player each of the last three seasons.”
More Rough News for the Bills
The Bills could see another top-tier receiver heading to an AFC rival. After the Patriots cut ties with Diggs following this season, the former Bills star has been pegged as a top target for the Kansas City Chiefs in their bid to rebound from a 6-11 season.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report suggested that Diggs could head to Kansas City and become a No. 1 receiver for Patrick Mahomes.
“The Chiefs need to add a wide receiver to a room that currently sports Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and not much else,” Davenport wrote. “Kansas City has also made something of a habit of bringing in veteran wide receivers who were cast off by other teams.”
While there had been some concerns around Diggs after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2024, Davenport noted that he bounced back strong in 2025. Diggs topped the 1,000-yard mark, while helping second-year quarterback Drake Maye take a significant leap and ultimately bringing the team on a surprise run to the Super Bowl.
“Diggs is also coming off a quietly-solid season with the New England Patriots: 102 targets, 85 receptions, 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. Right now, Kansas City’s pass-catchers are more a weakness than a strength,” Davenport wrote. “The addition of Diggs could change that.”