AJ Brown to Patriots might be turning into a reality. The speculation, which has lasted for a few days now, took a massive turn on Friday after the Philadelphia Eagles WR was seen working out with his former teammate. Interestingly, the ex-Titan in now with the New England Patriots.
Now, photos of safety Kevin Byard and AJ Brown have gone viral on social media. Visuals were shared by reporter Carlos A. Lopez. “Offseason work is underway for new #Patriots S Kevin Byard 🔥👀” he wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
However, it was not Byard that fans were interested in.
The two share a long-standing camaradrie. They first played together with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2021. During that stint, Brown recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, while Byard anchored the defense with over 90 tackles and strong interception numbers.
Their paths crossed again in 2023 when Byard joined Brown in Philadelphia following a midseason trade, briefly reuniting the duo with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Is another Brown-Byard reunion on the cards? Maybe.
On Thursday, it was former Patriots star Julian Edelman, who gave fans some hope by sharing a clip of Brown from the Dudes on Dudes podcast.
In the video, Brown gives a subtle wink when asked by Rob Gronkowski about potentially joining the Patriots. While Edelman offered no caption or context, fans quickly interpreted the post as a possible hint toward a looming deal.
One of the biggest hurdles in a potential trade is financial timing. Reports indicate the Philadelphia Eagles prefer to wait until after June 1 to finalize any deal due to salary cap implications.
If Brown were traded before that date, New England could take on a massive $43 million dead cap hit, while Philadelphia would absorb around $16 million. Waiting allows both teams to better manage those financial consequences, making a delayed deal more likely.
Despite ongoing discussions, negotiations appear to have stalled for now.
According to reporter Karen Guregian, the two sides are locked in a tense standoff as they attempt to find common ground.
“The Patriots and Eagles are engaged in a staring contest. While the expectation is they’ll eventually come to terms on a deal, whether it’s in the coming weeks, or after June 1, which is preferred by the Eagles for monetary reasons, it’s also possible another team will swoop in,” she said.
The possibility of a third team entering the race adds further uncertainty to an already fluid situation.
