The 2026 offseason has been far less exciting for the Patriots than it was just one year ago, since most of their biggest signings are set to return to the roster. That made the potential trade for wide receiver AJ Brown even more desirable to New England fans and made it the hottest topic over the past few months.
It was only a matter of time before a deal was agreed upon, and now that Brown will officially join the roster this fall, it's beyond clear who the biggest winners and losers are from the trade.
The Patriots, of course, are the biggest winners, since they have long needed a receiver of Brown's caliber, and fans have been begging for him to be on the team since Bill Belichick made the mistake of a lifetime by passing on him in the 2019 draft for N'Keal Harry.
But others might benefit more from Brown's presence, while others are about to face a difficult new reality they'll need to figure out quickly.
The biggest winners and losers from the Patriots' trade for AJ Brown
Winner: QB Drake Maye
It seems pretty obvious that the third-year quarterback is the biggest winner of this trade, as he will finally have the WR1 that the Patriots' offense has been missing for far too long.
Although Stefon Diggs was the best receiver they have had on the roster in many years, questions arose from his postseason performance, since he seemed to fade away in the biggest games of the season. That ultimately put a bullseye on Brown, with rumors suggesting the Eagles were listening to trade offers, and now he will have the chance to play with another young quarterback.
Brown instantly becomes Drake Maye's top target on game day, and while he might not be the player he once was, he still recorded over 1,000 receiving yards in 2025, continuing his streak of totaling 1,000+ yards every season of his career besides 2021.
That will be massive for Maye during what is already expected to be one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL,a nd should make all the difference in crunch time.
Loser: WR Kayshon Boutte
Although Brown's addition elevates the receiving corps, it also puts a player like Kayshon Boutte in the hot seat, and maybe even the trade block.
Because he's set to play on the final year of his rookie contract this fall, there were already questions about whether the Patriots would offer him an extension, and from what we've seen so far, that doesn't appear to be in the plans. Now that Brown has been acquired, it's looking more like Boutte will be moved instead.
An impressive 2025 season where he recorded 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns would normally be enough to keep him around and make him more of a focal point in Josh McDaniels' offense, but because Brown became available, it was clear that the Patriots were going to prioritize getting him on the team.
Now that this trade is complete, all attention will shift to what happens with Boutte next.
Winner: Mike Vrabel
Since the Titans went over his head in 2022 and traded Brown to the Eagles, it was an easy assumption that Mike Vrabel would try to reunite with the receiver if given the chance. It might not have happened in Tennessee, but it finally did in New England.
So once the rumors about Brown potentially being traded began, the Patriots were the main team to acquire him because of that connection. It's righting a wrong that has bothered Vrabel since it happened, and now Maye becomes the ultimate beneficiary of that determination.
Vrabel finally gets his guy back, who he seemingly had his eye on since he took over as the Patriots' head coach, and he also gives the team their best weapon since Julian Edelman, which makes the entire team the biggest winner.
Loser: Philadelphia Eagles' offense
They might feel like winners right now, considering they just got a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-rounder, but it wouldn't be unfair to assume that their offense will feel the loss of Brown this upcoming season, who has been Jalen Hurts' go-to for the last three years.
That is going to put a lot of pressure on DeVonta Smith, who has taken a back seat to the veteran since he arrived four years ago, and on rookie Makai Lemon, who will presumably be put into a much bigger role than he would have if Brown remained in Philadelphia.
Although things haven't been smooth sailing for the Eagles and Brown in recent years, with several in-game disagreements and persistent rumors of trouble behind the scenes dominating the headlines, he was still a massive contributor to their Super Bowl runs, and the offense will take a hit in his absence.
They'll have to hope it doesn't completely derail their chances for another NFC title or Super Bowl run, especially if he goes on to thrive even more with the Patriots.
Winner: Josh McDaniels
It might be fair to say that Maye is the biggest winner of this blockbuster trade, and nobody else comes particularly close. That is difficult to argue against, but there might be a reason to put offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels near the quarterback on this list, as he will finally have another explosive player to utilize on game day.
It's been a long time since the offense had a game-changing presence like Brown, which has forced McDaniels to adjust his game planning much more than he ever had to during the dynasty years.
With a solid quarterback under center and now a receiver opposing defenses will have to properly prepare for, the sky is the limit for what the Patriots' offense can do in 2026, and much of that falls on the shoulders of McDaniels.
We should expect to see a lot of new stuff from his playbook this fall because Brown provides way more opportunities to be creative in how to use him and the rest of the receiving corps. That immediately makes them one of the deepest groups in the league, and that's something the Patriots have needed for far too long.
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