Eagles reportedly ‘will not trade A.J. Brown at this time’ amid Patriots’ continued interest

The Patriots reportedly have made strong pushes in hopes of trading for star wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles, but it sounds like that dream will be put on pause for the time being.

New England reportedly began trade discussions with the Eagles before the NFL’s legal tampering period began Monday and has made “strong pushes” to acquire Brown, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

However, per Russini, “the Eagles will not trade A.J. Brown at this time,” she reported Friday.

The Patriots and Brown have been linked as a possible trade scenario dating back to last regular season, as Brown’s relationship with Philadelphia has deteriorated. Following the release of Stefon Diggs to begin the week, it seemed like the ideal time for New England to pounce.

However, the Patriots signed WR Romeo Doubs to a four-year contract worth up to $80 million Tuesday, seemingly ending the idea of a trade for Brown.

New England’s executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf didn’t rule out adding a player like Brown when speaking with reporters Thursday, though.

​“We’ll explore anything that we think can help the team,” Wolf said of the team’s interest in Brown, adding, “I think the only real deadlines you have are, sort of maybe salary cap related. If, for instance — did we spend money in free agency that would take us out of something else? But, I wouldn’t say that there’s a deadline on trying to improve the team.”

Russini noted that while the Eagles are tabling trade talks for the time being, discussions could “heat up closer to June 1” when salary cap relief takes effect.

In Brown’s situation, if he gets dealt after June 1, his dead cap hit for the Eagles would fall to $16.4 million from a pre-June 1 trade of $43 million. A post-June 1 deal would also free up $7 million in cap space for Philadelphia, which means waiting to agree to a trade would benefit them in the long run.

Perhaps the waiting game could benefit the Patriots, too — if the Eagles indeed resume talks in two and a half months, Brown’s price could come down.

New England reportedly had an offer of a first- and third-round draft picks in exchange for Brown, which was denied by Philadelphia, according to Philadelphia sports radio show host Anthony Gargano last week. The Eagles were reportedly originally seeking a first-round pick “with a second-round sweetener,” per NFL insider Mike Garafolo.

Could that price tag drop? It’s a possibility, according to Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi.

​“Who knows if this is a game of telephone. But talking to people who work in the league … they all believe A.J. Brown will end up in New England,” Giardi said. “This probably takes a little while. You’ve got the runway here. … But to me, now that you have Doubs?

​“It’s less of an ‘Oh, you’ve got to give us a [first-round pick] and [second-round pick].’ [The Patriots say], ‘No, we have a good player who we think can be a No. 1 [receiver]. How about a [second-round pick] and [fourth-round pick]? I think this is eventually going to get done.”

Wolf said the Patriots are “happy with the guys that we’ve signed,” a sentiment that would likely remain true even if the organization swung and missed on a Brown trade. However, adding Brown would help put New England’s WR room over the top coming off its Super Bowl LX loss.

The Patriots bolstered their offensive line with the signing of guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, as well as their defense via several player additions. Following these signings, New England still has over $51 million in available cap space for 2026 (per Over The Cap), leaving plenty of room for Brown’s $23.4 million cap charge.

Kaley Brown

Sports producer

Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.