After months of speculation and waiting, the Philadelphia Eagles officially traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick on Monday.
The deal was made after a season of reported friction and divide between Brown and the Eagles. While he was once best friends with Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, the relationship allegedly degraded over the past year.
TOP NEWS
At team OTAs on Tuesday, the reaction among Brown’s former teammates were mixed. Some saw the move as a sigh of relief, while others seemed disappointed.
“I think this is more of a — it sounds terrible — but like, thank God it’s over. It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out?” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “We didn’t really know, and that really wasn’t our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense.”
While Mailata seemed ready for the move, other players noted the positive impact that Brown had on them individually.
“That’s my big brother. I wish him nothing but the best,” cornerback Quinyon Mitchell said. “He helped me grow in my game and gain more confidence, so I’m thankful for him and I love him as a big brother.”
Philadelphia’s offense struggled a bit more than usual last season and the result was a first-round playoff loss at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.
Brown’s solo production also dipped significantly after such a hot start in his first few seasons on the team.
Regardless of his exit, corner Cooper DeJean noted Brown’s greatness while also acknowledging the business side of it all.
“Anytime you lose a great player like him, it hurts,” DeJean said. “And he’s a great friend of mine, he was a great teammate in our locker room. But there’s a business side to this thing, so everybody did what was best for them.”
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
