Patriots get another sign that AJ Brown might be traded by the Eagles in 2026

For the last few years, the Patriots have been linked to several big-name receivers who were either headed to or rumored to be traded from their current teams. Because New England has long needed a WR1, that means they were consistently part of the conversation, particularly regarding AJ Brown.

Besides almost being drafted by Bill Belichick in 2019, Brown has become even more connected to the Patriots since Mike Vrabel arrived, as he was the head coach of the Titans when the receiver was traded to the Eagles. Because he heavily opposed the trade and wanted to build a strong offense around Drake Maye, it left the door open for a blockbuster trade.

That has only been heightened this past season, with some erratic behavior from Brown that many have suggested shows he's unhappy in Philadelphia.

Patriots fans have held out hope that this could be true, and now that hope has been brought back to relevance during the Eagles' Wild Card game against the 49ers on Sunday.

AJ Brown gets into a shouting match with Eagles' head coach Nick Sirianni

Just a few minutes before halftime on Sunday, FOX Sports cameras caught a tense moment between the wide receiver and his head coach, prompting more rumors about just how peachy things are in Philadelphia despite the constant claims from the team that Brown wants to be on the team.

Maybe that's true, but things don't appear to look for too long, and this is just the latest incident.

Although Brown's antics could mean they would continue no matter which team he was playing for, it's difficult to rule out the Patriots trading for the receiver, especially since he would immediately elevate their receiving corps and help Maye during what is already looking like a much harder 2026 schedule.

His familiarity and appreciation for Vrabel would make him an absolutely no-brainer trade, and the Patriots are in a position to make it happen, even if it would be pretty expensive.

It seems clear that Brown's time with the Eagles hasn't been the best. Even if he doesn't demand a trade, they could be tired of the issues he's caused and want to move on in this upcoming offseason, and that's something Vrabel needs to pounce on.