The NFL's worst kept secret was finally announced earlier this month as the AJ Brown trade from the Eagles to Patriots went through with Drake Maye already spending time with his new teammates
14:04 ET, 11 Jun 2026
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A.J. Brown has begun practicing with the Patriots
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has stated that he is already seeing the connection between AJ Brown and Drake Maye in their few practices together so far.
Brown was finally traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Patriots for a first and fifth-round pick, with Maye getting his first-choice wide receiver in a big move. The trade had been strongly reported on, with the Patriots having to wait until June 1 due to financial implications.
The Patriots knew they needed to make upgrades to their offense after struggling mightily in the Super Bowl, losing to the Seattle Seahawks' dominant defense.
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Brown began practicing with the Patriots last week after the trade went through, with Vrabel already impressed with how they're looking.
He told reporters: “They found each other a couple of times yesterday in the red zone. I think that’s a work in progress.
"That connection is critical to rely on. A quarterback and receiver have to be on the same page. Practice is critical, the reps are critical.
Mike Vrabel spoke to reporters about his family life after the scandal
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Mike Vrabel has been impressed by Maye and Brown's early work together(Image: Getty)
"Sometimes when you get players that have had success in this league, and they come onto your team, you get an opportunity to learn maybe what’s worked for them and what they’ve been able to pick up over the years of doing it.
"So, there’s some professional initiative. We have that in every facet of our program. I think that’ll happen with Drake and AJ as well. That there’ll be some things that maybe he’s done before and he likes, and there’ll be things that we add new to him.”
Brown had appeared to be unhappy at the Eagles last season, with his numbers down significantly while not receiving the targets he'd have liked.
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Brown seen in his new jersey number
Reports recently emerged that Brown was frustrated with Jalen Hurts, who struggled to find Brown in zone coverages while missing him on a number of occasions.
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Many would argue that Maye is the superior passer of the two, having the best arm that Brown will have played with throughout his time in the NFL.
The Eagles already prepared themselves to lose Brown almost two months ago, when they selected wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first-round. They will also expect DeVonta Smith to step up in Brown's absence.
The Patriots will open the season in a rematch against the Seahawks, where they will look to exact revenge back on the West Coast.