Many NFL executives reportedly believe Eagles, A.J. Brown saga will end this way amid Patriots rumors

As recently as Thursday, New England Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf suggested that he has no "deadline" in mind regarding a potential trade for mercurial Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.

It's no secret that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman could hold onto Brown until at least June 1 for reasons related to the salary cap. For a piece posted on Friday morning, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom suggested that Brown could remain a Philadelphia player through the entire offseason. 

Teams don't really believe Eagles will trade A.J. Brown?

"General managers are steadfast that Philadelphia is showing no signs of coming off a very steep price for [Brown], and many executives remain unconvinced he will end up dealt," La Canfora shared.

Specifically, Roseman reportedly wants at least a first-round draft pick and a second-round choice in return for Brown. Brown has not publicly requested a trade, and he signed a three-year, $96M extension with $84M in guaranteed money in the spring of 2024.

"Execs say it will take more than a first-round pick to land Brown in the near term, if he’s dealt at all," La Canfora explained. "Opinions vary as to how motivated Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is to actually trade Brown." 

What do NFL executives think of the Patriots, A.J. Brown rumors? 

Wolf teased on Thursday that the door is not "closed" regarding a possible reunion with veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who led the 2025 Patriots in multiple categories but has since been released. As for Brown, he had Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel as a head coach when they were with the Tennessee Titans from 2019-21.

"I still think it’s New England," one unnamed general manager said about which team will ultimately trade for Brown while speaking with La Canfora. A different GM predicted that Roseman will "move [Brown] for the right price, but not until June." 

It's unclear if Roseman will drop his alleged price after May comes to an end. If he doesn't, New England and other interested teams could pass on trading for Brown before the 2026 season gets underway.