The Philadelphia Eagles are going into their 2026 mini-camp without a familiar face in wide receiver A.J. Brown. Brown was traded to the New England Patriots on June 1st for a 2028 first-round and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Brown’s departure from the Eagles was a bit somber and it entailed a lot of trade rumors and now it’s a reality. Brown is once again with a new team. But, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni did speak about Brown and his time in Philadelphia.
Sirianni told reporters, “I would say that it was a lot of good years,” said Sirianni. “Done a lot of good things with A.J. here. Two times in the Super Bowl. I think he was an All-Pro multiple times. Pro Bowl multiple times. I would say it was a good run.”
Sirianni also talked about their mindset with the trade noting, “Howie and I discuss everything as you know. So many things that (Brown) did that (were) good for our football team and always will wish him the best of luck.”
Sirianni continued, “This is a team game. In every decision that I make and the decisions that Howie (Roseman) makes, we will talk to each other about it.”
Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Gets Real About A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown Overview
A.J. Brown was acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles via trade with the Tennessee Titans on draft night in 2022. While in an Eagles uniform, Brown did well, having 339 receptions for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns. He was named 2nd-team All-Pro three times throughout his tenure in Philadelphia from 2022 to 2024. In 2025, Brown totaled 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.
The offense didn’t do too well last season and Brown voiced that multiple times. Receivers in the NFL generally want to be heavily involved in the offense and Brown wasn’t seemingly. Although he did have 1,000 yards receiving every year he was in Philadelphia, his production on the field decreased.
They were able to go to two Super Bowls against the Kansas City Chiefs, losing one of which in 2023 by a score of 38-35. In that game, Brown had six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles and Chiefs faced off again in the Super Bowl a second time, back in 2025, but Philadelphia defeated Kansas City 40-22, ending the chances of a three-peat for Kansas City. In that second Super Bowl, Brown had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles went back to the playoffs in 2026, but lost to the San Francisco 49ers 23-19. Brown had multiple drops in that game, although, he did have three catches for 23 yards. Sometime after many speculated that a trade was on the horizon and now it has been.
Eagles Wide Receiver Room Now
With A.J. Brown gone from the Eagles, their wide receiver room will be a bit different. They still have former first-round pick DeVonta Smith, who’s been in sort of a number two role behind Brown. But now Smith can assume the number one receiver spot. In 2025, Smith had 77 catches for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns.
They also drafted Makai Lemon in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft out of USC. Lemon could potentially contribute right away for the team, as he’s a highly touted rookie.
Philadelphia also has veterans in the receiver room such as Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, Elijah Moore, and Dontayvion Wicks. Hollywood Brown was more recently on the Chiefs, while Moore was with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, and Wicks was with the Green Bay Packers.
The Eagles will continue their mini camp on June 10th and they’ll start training camp sometime in July.
Main Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
