Seahawks will see A.J. Brown on opening night after Patriots make big trade

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 10: Christian Gonzalez #6 of the New England Patriots tackles A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium on September 10, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images

One way or another, the Seattle Seahawks were almost certainly going to face star wide receiver A.J. Brown in 2026. Either he was going to stay disgruntled on the Philadelphia Eagles or go to essentially the only team that had consistent reported interest in him, the AFC champion New England Patriots.

Well, it’s June 1, and the trade everyone expected to happen has now materialized.

A.J. Brown is a Patriot, ending a four-year stint with the Eagles in which he made it to two Super Bowls, won his first ring, and seemingly had a rocky relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts (among other grievances with the Philadelphia offense).

ESPN sources: The Eagles are trading Pro-Bowl WR A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick that is the better of New England’s two fifths. The deal that has been speculated on for weeks now finally is happening. Brown and Patriots… pic.twitter.com/9Z8ocpyeJf

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 1, 2026

Brown is reunited with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who had him with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 until the shock decision to send him to the Eagles on the night of the 2022 draft. For perspective, Brown’s 78 catches for 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns in his final season in Philadelphia exceeds the combined career total of his Titans replacement, Treylon Burks.

Of course, the Patriots will play the Seahawks to open the 2026 NFL season. I know there’s been a lack of enthusiasm for this matchup because of how lopsided the Super Bowl was, but you can either lie to yourself and say this game has the same dynamic or acknowledge a fair bit has changed for both teams. New England has swapped out Stefon Diggs for the duo of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, in addition to signing Alijah Vera-Tucker and trading away starting center Garrett Bradbury. The Seahawks have kept mostly the same offense outside of Kenneth Walker III, but the defense will have rookies Bud Clark and Julian Neal in the lineup, with Dante Fowler Jr replacing Boye Mafe. There are more than enough pieces changed to make this interesting in its own right.

Anyway, this was the only major trade of the day. Nothing else of note happened.

Continue reading...