In the midst of the excitement over the 2026 schedule release, the chatter about the Patriots' likely trade for wide receiver AJ Brown has mostly subsided. That doesn't mean it's not happening or fans have given up on it, but the focus was shifted to something else for the time being, until the Eagles swooped in and jump-started new rumors.
While they have remained mum over the past few weeks as trade discourse has heated up, they didn't take the same approach with their schedule-release video, and Patriots fans immediately noticed and called it out.
Perhaps they're reading too much into it, or maybe it was just another message from the Eagles that Brown is no longer part of the team. We won't know until after June 1 when a trade is expected to be announced.
So in the meantime, the speculation will continue, and based on their recent social media activity, it would be hard to ignore what they're clearly saying.
HEADLINE
Ahead of releasing their schedule video, the Eagles teased fans with what was to come, and once it was released, one thing was clear: AJ Brown is no longer a prominent member of the team.
Today's meeting could NOT have been an email@ticketmaster | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/VI1ze8jYwF
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 14, 2026
He was not featured in the video at all, despite being quarterback Jalen Hurts' No. 1 target, and that immediately drew reactions from Patriots fans who continue to hold their breath for the eventual announcement that a trade deal has been agreed upon.
As the weeks pass by, it's looking more and more inevitable that it will happen, especially since the historically vocal Brown has not said anything about the rumors thus far. Better yet for Patriots fans are the whispers that a deal has already been agreed to, just can't be made official until June 2.
That has even prompted reports that Brown looked at condos in the Boston area last week, furthering the idea that he will finally suit up with the team he should have been drafted to this upcoming season.
At the very least, whether he's traded to the Patriots or not, the Eagles continue to show that they have moved on from Brown in one way or another. Whether it's not including him in the schedule video, selecting receivers high in the draft, or trading for pass catchers to seemingly replace his production, they continue to send a message that they can do it without him.
Patriots fans hope it culminates in Brown heading to Foxboro, and based on what we've seen so far, that appears to be the case. But we'll have to wait a few more weeks until we know for sure.
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