Patriots Exec Responds to A.J. Brown, Eagles Trade Rumors Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

New England Patriots' executive vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, was asked about the undying rumors linking the team to a potential trade for Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver A.J. Brown on Monday.

While Wolf said he won't comment on players from other teams, he told reporters the Patriots "will keep the door open" with "the player you mentioned" or anybody else who could potentially improve the Patriots.

Brown's angst during periods of the 2025 season has led to rampant rumors that he'll be traded, though he hasn't publicly requested a trade and the Eagles haven't suggested they are openly shopping him (though reports have noted they would want a hefty return if they did trade him).

There is a time component to the matter, however. If the Eagles were to trade Brown after June 1, they would incur a dead cap hit of less than $20 million, compared to $40 million if they traded him before that time. That has led to the belief that a trade very well could happen after that date, and the fact that trade rumors haven't died down is a suggestion that there may be a fire behind this smoke.

It has been the Patriots who have long been rumored as a potential suitor, and they haven't exactly made an effort to dampen those flames.

"We've talked about this since last January. We're going to try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition," New England head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters in late March when asked about Brown. "So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we're going to try to do."

Vrabel's past connection to Brown—the two were previously paired with the Tennessee Titans—is surely a part of those incessant rumors, though the Patriots are hardly the only team who could use help at the receiver position. How both New England and Philly approach the draft could offer some hints as to whether a Brown trade is actually realistic or simply ongoing speculation.