Mike Vrabel Praises A.J. Brown's Maturity Ahead of Patriots-Eagles Joint Practice After Trade

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel praised A.J Brown's maturity ahead of his first joint practice against his former teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vrabel said he's seen better communication and accountability from Brown since they worked together on the Tennessee Titans (h/t Fox 29's Jeff Skversky).

"Just the way that he communicates with coaches, the way he communicates with players, just I would say an overall maturity," Vrabel said Wednesday.

"He's accountable, gets mistakes corrected. You can coach him hard... he wants to do well for the entire offense."

The Eagles and Patriots are set to participate in joint practices Wednesday and Thursday before the two teams play a preseason matchup Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

These practices will mark a reunion with the Eagles for multiple players including Brown and defensive tackle Milton Williams.

"I'm sure there's some added feelings for them, but I'm not going to try to explain what those are. Those are their feelings," Vrabel said about Brown and Williams.

Vrabel added, "They've practiced hard whether it's against us, or against the Colts. I'm sure we'll see great efforts from both of them today against the Eagles."

The Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski and ESPN's Tim McManus shared videos of Brown apparently not extending any extra greetings toward his former teammates as he jogged onto the field at the Patriots' practice facility.

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio noted Wednesday Brown has participated in all 18 practices the Patriots have held so far during training camp.

Brown, who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles following the 2024 season, seemingly split with the franchise during a 2025 campaign in which he expressed frustration with his former team.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman later said Brown shared a desire to play elsewhere before he was traded to the Patriots in June, per The Athletic's Zach Berman.

Brown ranked among the most productive receivers in the NFL before injuries and a run-first offense limited him to 15 games and 1,003 receiving yards in his final campaign in Philadelphia.

The Patriots will hope to see Brown bounce back to his previous level of Pro Bowl-caliber play as he continues building chemistry with third-year quarterback Drake Maye.