The AJ Brown trade saga is (hopefully) nearing its end, with the Eagles sending the receiver to the Patriots as soon as June 2, when the dead cap they would take on is cut in half. It's been a long few months with New England as the frontrunners, and most fans are just waiting for the announcement that Brown is finally headed to Foxboro.
But, like clockwork, the rumors are starting to come out that the Patriots are unwilling to offer what the Eagles want in a trade, which has long been rumored to be a first-round draft pick.
The problem is that all the chatter leading up to this week claimed they were including a future first-rounder, so this has seemingly come out of nowhere.
It's raised concerns that the Patriots may have gotten cold feet, despite doing everything this offseason that seemed to show they knew a trade would happen, which the Eagles have engaged in as well.
Fortunately, an NFL insider addressed the matter on Thursday and sought to clarify the ongoing situation.
The Eagles might be toying with the Patriots after weeks of a rumored agreement for AJ Brown
NFL insider James Palmer discussed the latest whispers earlier this week, addressing the panic that Patriots fans are starting to feel about a potential trade falling through.
And while he doesn't necessarily shut down the latest reports, he does offer a theory suggesting the Eagles are potentially playing games now.
"Expect contract negotiations to pick up this week, to my understanding... I wouldn't be shocked if Howie Roseman goes out there and he finds a way to pick up the phone and see if some other teams could be potentially interested."pic.twitter.com/9inWDEEMe5
— Michael Rodnick (@MJRodnick) May 28, 2026
Although it has always seemed like a matter that would be settled based on what they could receive in return for Brown, the fact that it might just now be becoming an issue feels like a last-ditch effort by the Eagles to get a better deal than what the Patriots have offered.
The belief has been that they were willing to send a first-round pick and maybe a player or a mid-rounder to get Brown on the roster, which seemed to fit all the trade proposals that analysts and insiders have claimed would get the deal done.
But now the Eagles might be getting cold feet, or hope that a random team that hasn't shown much interest in the past will suddenly change their mind.
That would be an absolute disaster for the Patriots, who seemingly built their offense this offseason around the idea that Brown would be their WR1. Based on all the information we know, only the Rams had previously seriously pursued a deal, but it fell through, and it's hard to imagine that they will pick up again just days before Brown is projected to be moved.
There have been rumors that the Jaguars might try to swing a trade, especially since they have reportedly been shopping Brian Thomas Jr., but not much has been said since the initial reports were shared.
Because of that, there's no reason to believe another team has overtaken the Patriots' position at the top for Brown, and hopefully, the Eagles won't create the ultimate chaos by seemingly backing out of an unofficial agreement with the Patriots.
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