Here’s one way to bid farewell to your employer.
“The best to ever play here. Always open.” That’s what New England Patriots star wide receiver A.J. Brown, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles last week, wrote on a picture of himself at the Eagles’ facility before departing for good last week, according to NFL Media.
Think Brown had a few thoughts on his mind about the divorce?
Philadelphia traded Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, to New England last week for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. This move came against the backdrop of Brown publicly expressing displeasure with his lack of targets in the team’s offense last season, with the trade not happening until June 1 to help the Eagles spread out the cap hit they took by trading Brown over the next two seasons; the 28-year-old Brown is entering the first season of a three-year, $96 million deal.
Brown spent the last four seasons with the Eagles, most notably helping them win Super Bowl LIX. Last season (2025), Brown totaled 78 receptions for 1,003 yards (12.9 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns across 15 regular-season games.
Over Brown’s four-year stint in Philadelphia (2022-25), he averaged 84.8 receptions for 1,258.5 yards (14.8 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns per season. Brown ranks ninth in Eagles history with 5,034 receiving yards and is tied for 12th with 32 receiving touchdowns; he spent the first three seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans (2019-21) before being acquired by the Eagles during the 2022 NFL Draft.
Regarding the receiver’s new home, Brown joins a Patriots team coming off an appearance in Super Bowl LX and joins forces with quarterback Drake Maye, who was the runner-up for the 2025 NFL MVP Award. Maye led the NFL with a 113.5 passer rating and a 72.0% completion percentage, while leading a New England offense that was second in the sport in points (28.8 per game), third in total yards (379.4 per game), fourth in passing yards (250.5 per game) and sixth in rushing yards (128.9 per game). The Patriots released wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who led the team in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,013) last season, in March.
We’ll find out this winter if Brown can become “the best to ever play” for the Patriots.
