Why Eagles Haven’t Agreed to Terms on A.J. Brown

June is rapidly approaching. That should mean an end to the A.J. Brown saga, with the Philadelphia Eagles expected to send their star wide receiver to the New England Patriots.

In the meantime, rumors keep kicking up. That includes what the Patriots could be sending to the Eagles, the timeline for the trade, and if another team could be joining the negotiations late.

In a way, these rumors are odd. Adam Schefter reported that A.J. Brown would likely be traded to the Patriots around the time of the NFL Draft. Still, as time has gone on, there’s been time for things to potentially change, or for those rumors to simply grow.

Albert Breer on Why the New England Patriots Haven’t Agreed to Terms on A.J. Brown

GettyA.J. Brown with the Philadelphia Eagles

The A.J. Brown trade is going to continue to be one of the biggest stories in the NFL until it becomes official. So, for New England Patriots fans, it would be nice to see the two teams agree to terms on a trade sooner rather than later.

Except, the Philadelphia Eagles have a good reason to take it slow when they’re agreeing to this trade. NFL insider Albert Breer recently explained.

“As for where he’s going, it always made sense for the Eagles to wait to ‘agree to terms’ until the last minute because things can change elsewhere (and already have with the Rice situation in Kansas City). But the Chiefs, Chargers, Bills and Rams all had their shot at this already, and I think the final result will be what everyone’s treating as a fait accompli, and that’s Brown reuniting with Mike Vrabel in New England,” Breer wrote.

In other words, the Eagles are hoping something changes between now and June 1st. That way, another team may want to get in on the bidding and drive the price up on Brown.

The reason the Eagles are waiting for June is well-documented by now. It’s going to help them as it relates to the salary cap. Breer dove into the details of that as well.

“So, per the NFL’s internal system, if Brown were traded today, his cap number would jump to $43.515 million for 2026,” Breer wrote. “If he’s dealt next week, then the Eagles can take $16.353 million of it now (which is the past bonus proration set to hit the cap this year), and $27.162 million next year. With his Philly cap number sitting at $23.393 million, that means it’s either add $20 million to this year’s cap or save $7 million and push the rest off.”

Adam Schefter Believes There is Limited Interest for A.J. Brown

GettyPhiladelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown

There has been a series of rumors recently that the New England Patriots aren’t the only team interested in A.J. Brown. ESPN’s Adam Schefter heard some of them while making a hit on radio in Philadelphia, but was quick to dismiss them on The Adam Schefter Podcast.

“It feels like the closer we get to June 1, the more the A.J. Brown chatter is starting to pick up,” Adam Schefter said. “Now, we’re starting to hear about other teams entering the mix. I was on a Philadelphia radio show this morning. They brought up the idea that the Rams could be getting back in. They brought up the idea that the Jaguars could be getting back in. That’s interesting.”

In a way, it sounds like wishful thinking from Philadelphia radio. They know Brown is gone, but don’t care to who. They just want the best price, which they won’t get negotiating against one team.

“I will remain in the camp that we’ve been in for the last 6-7 weeks. Which is that I still think [AJ Brown] is getting traded. I still think he’s getting traded on or shortly after June 1. I still think the New England Patriots are going away the lead contender to land AJ Brown this offseason. I don’t care what other teams come up in connection with A.J. Brown trade talks between now and June 1,” Schefter said.

“Don’t care about what conversations there are. These other teams have had their opportunities throughout the offseason. There were conversations with the Rams that did not result in a deal. I don’t know about Jacksonville. I don’t even know where that’s coming from, but I still think that the New England Patriots make the most sense. I still think when all is said and done that the Patriots will wind up agreeing to a deal that will land AJ Brown in New England.”

The major problem blocking most teams from trading for Brown is simply the salary cap. He’s going to cost around $23 million, which is a hit the Patriots can take. At this point, most other teams can’t, though.

Dan Morrison After graduating from UMass in 2019, Dan Morrison quickly began a career in sports journalism and digital media. That has seen him work both as a contributing writer at several publications, as well as spending time on the National News Desk at On3. During that time, he has spent the majority of his time covering football, both at the college and NFL levels. Currently residing in Central Florida, his focus with Heavy is on the NFL. More about Dan Morrison