A.J. Brown Likely to Join Patriots After June 1st, Reports Say
A.J. Brown is likely to join the New England Patriots after June 1 if the contract terms align, following his turbulent season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Video Transcript
But I wanna begin with some news out of Philadelphia.
A story that Joe and I have discussed a lot, followed, quite closely, and looks like it is really coming to a head here as A.J.
Brown, according to Adam Schefter, is likely to become a Patriot following June 1st.
For, those that are maybe playing a little bit of catch-up or just trying to completely understand, there's just a lot of language in these NFL contracts that, you know, June 1 triggers different numbers, and for Philadelphia to trade A.J.
Brown today is a lot more expensive than it would be to trade him on June 2nd.
And that has led to us, or led us to believe that A.J.
would be ta- traded, not until June.
But that did make things complicated, right?
Teams wanna know if they're going to have a player of A.J.
's caliber before a draft.
And in a lot of cases, Philly would probably wanna have picks this year, Joe, instead of kicking it down the road.
That may not be how that plays out, but it almost feels as if, and maybe you could just Maybe they're not allowed, I don't know, to report it until June, you know, call it 2nd, right?
But it feels like we know A.J.
Brown is done in Philadelphia, and a New England Patriot.
Right.
So let's start with the Patriots side.
We saw that game philosophy and game script play out in the Super Bowl, lack of speed on the perimeter, and Drake May was battered early and often.
He now is the number one, taking over for Stefon Diggs that, got released at the end of the regular season.
But here we are, Kevin, A.J.
Brown significantly upgrades the passing attack now.
Is New England all of a sudden now gonna throw it all over the yard?
No, but at least they have a wide receiver that they can count on, and then those secondary pieces like- Mm-hmm Kayshon Boutte and some of the others now fit, right?
It's more of a much, cohesive type of offensive unit.
For Philadelphia- Mm-hmm they got rid of A.J.
Brown strictly for the sideline antics and, and for the locker room.
A- and if this- Yeah team is gonna be headed back to the Super Bowl, you and I discussed it, it has nothing to do with the physical attributes because he's clearly the number one wide receiver in that offense.
What happens is when he's not fed the football, whether the team is winning or not- doesn't become the main concern for A.J.
Brown, and that's where when you look at this coaching staff and you now have a new offensive coordinator, and you have a quarterback in Jalen Hurts that struggled last year, you wanna make sure that every player and everybody in that locker room is on the same page so that- Mm-hmm now you can compete for an NFC championship.
The fact that the Philadelphia Eagles won five, six, seven straight and A.J.
Brown wasn't happy is absolutely ridiculous.
So to Joe's point, there was a three-week run where A.J.
Brown looked completely himself.
24 catches, 342 yards, and three touchdowns.
The Eagles went 0 and 3 in those games.
It was You know, it felt like A.J.
's kind of quietest part of the season, if you will.
A.J.
still, in playing just 15 games, amassed five 100-yard games, a couple of multi-touchdown performances as well.
I think for New England, the off-field stuff is less concerning because it's a fresh start for A.J.
Brown, right?
And I think the way things got in Philadelphia, I think some of that was maybe, I think there was some personal stuff, Joe, right?
Like, I think maybe Brown and Hurts going way back, I think at one point maybe really close friends, maybe a frustration that came through a, a little bit where I think A.J.
Brown will be on a, on a much better behavior, at least off the, you know, the bat there.
And New England needed a guy that felt a tier above.
If you looked at the roster, especially with Stefon Diggs not on it, the wide receiver room i- is, I mean, borderline unacceptable for Drake May to go into this season.
Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Pop Douglas, Kyle Williams, Mac Hollins, all fine players.
Nobody you would consider a top 30 wide receiver in football.
N- not, not a one of those guys.
I do wonder if A.J.
's best football's behind him.
He's not 30-some odd.
He'll be 29 at the start of the next league year.
But I also think for a Patriots team who played in the post-sea- who played in the Super Bowl, I don't know if they're as concerned about getting f- six great years out of A.J.
Brown as, like, two great years, Joe, out of A.J.
Brown, and making sure that Drake May stays on this trajectory as a top five quarterback in this league.
