There's not a whole lot that needs to be said to get the Patriots and their fans excited about what wide receiver AJ Brown can do for the offense in 2026 and beyond, but there might be some things that are going under the radar that could certainly hype things up even more.
We already know what kind of player Brown is, especially since New England fans have felt the pain of not drafting him every year since Bill Belichick chose N'Keal Harry over him in 2019, and that is an explosive option for any quarterback who can rack up 1,000+ receiving yards with ease, as he's done every season except 2022.
That's expected to continue in his first year with the Patriots, which seems even more likely given that he will be working closely with Drake Maye and, and maybe even more exciting, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Over the years, whether he was calling plays for the Patriots or serving as head coach of another team, McDaniels has made offenses thrive, especially receivers in their first seasons with that team. That puts what Brown can accomplish in Year 1 at the top of the list of things fans are most looking forward to, even more so after looking at the stats of the previous receivers.
Josh McDaniels might be the best person to replicate AJ Brown's most productive seasons in Year 1 with the Patriots
Looking back at McDaniels' time with the Patriots during the dynasty era and his brief stints with the Broncos and Raiders, it's clear that he knows how to elevate receivers to the next level in their first year of a new offense.
It would be fair to expect him to bring out the same kind of production from Brown this fall, which also means Maye could be on the path to another MVP-caliber season.
- 2007: Wes Welker (1,175 yards, 8 touchdowns
- 2007: Randy Moss (1,493 yards, 23 touchdowns)
- 2009: Brandon Marshall (1,120 yards, 10 touchdowns)
- 2010: Brandon Lloyd (1,448 yards, 11 touchdowns)
- 2017: Brandin Cooks (1,082 yards, 7 touchdowns)
- 2022: Davante Adams (1,516 yards, 14 touchdowns)
Considering how far back these statistics go, they show that McDaniels has been successful in this area for a very long time and with a variety of receivers, whether they predominantly play in the slot or outside.
Brown can do both, and is a major asset as a deep threat, which is something Maye is one of the best in the league at utilizing.
Imagining what he can provide the young quarterback on game day, and how his impressive performance last season, which made him the runner-up in the MVP race, will only be better now that Brown is on the team, suggests the offense could be one of the best in the entire league in 2026.
McDaniels is more than capable of ensuring that happens, and it would be the cherry on top of a hopefully impressive season to see Brown added to the list of star receivers who had some of the best seasons of their career working with him.
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