Patriots' A.J. Brown: Seemingly making progress with ankle
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Brown was spotted Monday in the Patriots' locker room walking without a limp and wearing a small wrap on his injured right ankle, Taylor Kyles of CLNSMedia.com reports.
Kyles noted that Brown was wearing cleats, which could hint that he was able to do some on-field exercises. After being placed on injured reserve Sept. 12, Brown won't be eligible to start practicing with his teammates until Week 6, but the wideout at least seems to be making good progress in his recovery from the high-ankle sprain he sustained in the season-opening loss to the Seahawks.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Likely in line for six-week absence
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Brown, who was officially placed on injured reserve Saturday, is expected to miss about six weeks due to a right high-ankle sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Patriots deactivated Brown just three days after he sustained the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday's 13-10 loss to the Seahawks. Though recovery timelines for high-ankle sprains often range from 4-to-6 weeks, the Patriots quickly determined that Brown's injury is "a little more serious," which likely takes a return from IR in Week 6 when first eligible off the table. While their No. 1 wideout is sidelined until early November, the Patriots will have to lean more heavily on Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams as their primary receivers.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Expected to miss four weeks
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Brown is expected to miss four weeks with the ankle injury he suffered in Monday night's loss to the Seahawks, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.
Brown is believed to be dealing with a high-ankle sprain that may require a stint on injured reserve, per NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. The good news is he suffered the injury on a Wednesday, which gives him a few extra days to rehab this week, but it's still looking like the star wideout will miss multiple games. While Brown is sidelined, the Patriots will need to lean on Romeo Doubs at wideout, while DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams all figure to take on larger roles. Hunter Henry is also a candidate to see a bigger target share while Brown is sidelined.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Will not return Wednesday
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Brown (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's contest versus Seattle.
Brown will remain sidelined until the conclusion of the team's regular-season opener after suffering a right ankle injury in the third quarter. In the wideout's absence, running back Rhamondre Stevenson has been quarterback Drake Maye's favorite target against the Seahawks.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Questionable to return Wednesday
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Brown (ankle) is questionable to return Wednesday against the Seahawks, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Brown suffered a right ankle injury on the Patriots' opening drive of the second half, and his availability for the rest of the game is now up in the air. In his absence, Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas could see an uptick in usage at wide receiver.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Not playing Thursday
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Brown isn't in uniform for Thursday's preseason game in Cleveland, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Brown thus won't see any game action during this exhibition season. He's expected to serve as the top target for QB Drake Maye in 2026, considering the key asset (a 2028 first-round pick) sent to Philadelphia to gain his services. In seven campaigns as a pro, Brown has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards six times while racking up 58 total TDs in 105 regular-season contests.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Top target during joint practice
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Brown remained the Patriots' No. 1 option in the passing game during Tuesday's joint practice with the Colts, Ethan Hurwitz of SI.com reports.
Brown started his day off by beating Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner in a 1-on-1 situation, and once full-squad reps began, the wide receiver was heavily targeted. The 29-year-old is entering his first season in Josh McDaniels' offense, working with emerging star Drake Maye at quarterback. Brown and Maye connected five times at practice Tuesday, including a 10-yard score on an in-breaking route where Brown split two defenders to reach paydirt. The wide receiver and the Eagles had grown tired of each other after a four-season marriage in Philadelphia from 2022-2025, and Brown will now provide the Patriots with a clear No. 1 option in their passing game after being traded June 1. He has recorded four straight 1,000-plus yard campaigns and has finished with seven or more receiving touchdowns in six of his seven NFL seasons leading into 2026.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Building connection with Maye
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After the connection between Brown and QB Drake Maye got off to a slow start in training camp, Paul Perillo of the Patriots' official site notes that "there have been some serious signs of life since the pads came on Thursday morning."
With that in mind, Maye said Friday,"I feel the connectivity building now," adding "that's the biggest thing. You are just seeing it get better every day." As the two players' chemistry continues to grow while Brown acclimates to his new team's offense, the wideout is firmly on track to yield fantasy utility as New England's top option at his position alongside fellow newcomer Romeo Doubs, with Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism battling for targets that don't go to the aforementioned duo.
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Patriots' A.J. Brown: Headed to Patriots
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The Eagles are trading Brown to the Patriots, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, New England is sending a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the wideout.
Following months of speculation, the two sides have finally reached a deal to send the 28-year-old wideout to New England. Waiting until June 1 always made sense for the Eagles, as doing so allows the team to spread Brown's $43.5 million dead-cap hit over the next two seasons, rather than absorbing it all this year. In anticipation of the move, this offseason Philadelphia bolstered a WR corps (which continues to feature DeVonta Smith) by adding Dontayvion Wicks in a trade, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore via free agency, as well as selecting Makai Lemon 20th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. From the Patriots' perspective, Brown reunites with Mike Vrabel -- who coached him in Tennessee - and gives ascending young QB Drake Maye a legitimate No. 1 option in a wide receiver corps that also includes Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams. Steady weekly volume should be the norm for Brown in his new uniform, which puts the 2019 second-rounder in a position to continue to be a reliable fantasy producer this coming season.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Eagles add first-round WR
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The Eagles' selection of WR Makai Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft provides further indication that the team is preparing to move on from Brown, Tim McManus of ESPN.com and Zach Berman of The Athletic report.
McManus notes that Adam Schefter of ESPN previously suggested Brown appears likely to be traded to the Patriots on or after June 1, and the addition of Lemon to a Philadelphia wideout corps that has already brought in Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks and Elijah Moore this offseason is another sign pointing to such an outcome. Meanwhile, the Patriots opted to bolster their offensive line depth in Round 1 rather than add a high-profile rookie WR by selecting offensive tackle Caleb Lomu 28th overall. For his part, however, Eagles GM Howie Roseman remains reluctant to tip his hand regarding the team's plans for Brown, stating Thursday, "For us, A.J. is a member of the Eagles. ... We don't have any trades that have been made or that are done. And I think for us, we're taking this one day at a time."
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: GM Roseman won't reveal much
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Eagles GM Howie Roseman avoided questions about Brown's future while talking with reporters Tuesday, according to Brooks Kubena of The Athletic reports.
Roseman initially declined to comment on Brown when answering a two-part question, instead focusing on recent trade acquisition Dontayvion Wicks. When a different reporter asked about Brown again, Roseman responded, "What do you think the odds of me answering this question any different than I answered it anywhere else?" Roseman then repeated his line from earlier this offseason, saying "A.J. Brown's an Eagle." The response will do nothing to quiet trade rumors, with numerous reports suggesting the Eagles had serious talks with the Rams and Patriots in March. From a cap standpoint, it becomes much easier for the Eagles to move on from Brown after June 1, which means this could drag out for a while even if the team has already made an internal decision of sorts.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Won't be traded at this time
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While the Eagles have held conversations with the Patriots and Rams, Brown will not be traded at this time, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Both the Rams and Patriots have been linked to Brown in recent weeks, as he has familiarity with coach Mike Vrabel from their time together in Tennessee. In Los Angeles, the team needs a third receiver, and the two sides had conversations before the Rams pulled off a deal for Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs last week. According to Russini, talks could heat back up closer to June 1, as no move is believed to be imminent. There's been a whole lot of smoke surrounding Brown this offseason, and that typically indicates there's fire, so a trade can't be written off at some point.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Could still be traded
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The Eagles have discussed trading Brown in recent weeks, including dialogue with the Rams before they traded for CB Trent McDuffie, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
The report notes that Los Angeles remains interested, though negotiations slowed down after the McDuffie acquisition. New England is mentioned most often in trade rumors, even after reaching a four-year agreement with WR Romeo Doubs. The Eagles, meanwhile, don't seem to be in any rush, which makes sense given that any deal completed June 1 (or later) would have the dead-cap charge split between 2026 and 2027 (rather than taking the entire $43.4 million hit this year). One or two suitors may lose interest between now and then, especially after the NFL Draft, but there will always be some market for a player with six 1,000-yard seasons through seven years in the NFL. If the Eagles aren't happy with offers, they may instead try to sell Brown on the idea of an improved passing game under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Wanted by Eagles, but no guarantees
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Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni said Tuesday that his "expectation" is that Brown wants remain with the Eagles but that he "can't guarantee" the wide receiver will play for the team in 2026, Tim McManus of ESPN reports.
"[M]y expectation is [Brown] wants to be here," Sirianni said. "And obviously you want good players like that in your building," but he noted that "I can't guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season." Brown secured 78 of 121 targets for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns across 15 regular-season appearances in 2025, but at times he openly expressed frustration with the consistency of Philadelphia's offense. General manager Howie Roseman emphasized the fact that it is "really hard to find great players" when asked about Brown's status, but he also said the Eagles' policy is "listening to offers for everything and anything." In the event that Brown were to be traded, doing so prior to June 1 would result in Philadelphia incurring over $40 million in dead cap, compared to less than $20 million after that date.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Costly drops in playoff loss
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Brown caught three of seven targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 23-19 wild-card game loss to the 49ers.
Brown didn't have a catch after the first quarter, recording a couple of costly drops after that point, including one on Philadelphia's final drive of the season, which ended with a turnover on downs from San Francisco's 21-yard line. The enigmatic wide receiver was seen having an animated discussion with head coach Nick Sirianni on the sideline during the game. Brown expressed frustration with his target volume throughout the campaign despite finishing with a team-high 121 targets in the regular season, which he turned into 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, but he came up short with his opportunities in the playoffs as the Eagles were eliminated in their first postseason matchup. Despite his love-hate relationship with the coaching staff, Brown likely isn't going anywhere since he's under contract through 2029.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Leading receiver on seven targets
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Brown hauled in five of seven targets for 68 yards in Sunday's 13-12 win over the Bills.
Brown missed a pair of practice sessions early in the week after having his wisdom teeth removed, but the procedure did not limit the wideout's availability in Sunday's road victory. The 28-year-old paced the Eagles in targets, receptions and yardage while ceding the team's only touchdown reception to TE Dallas Goedert (3-8-1). Brown's solid effort pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth consecutive season. The star receiver is looking for a strong finish to the regular season against the Commanders in Week 18.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Back at practice Friday
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Brown (teeth) is participating in the early portion of Friday's practice open to the media, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Brown was listed as a non-participant at practice Wednesday and Thursday, so it's encouraging to now see him back on the field in at least a limited capacity. The star wideout is recovering from a dental procedure undergone earlier this week, but he seems to be trending in the right direction for Sunday's showdown against the Bills. The release of Friday's official practice report will reveal whether Brown is assigned an injury designation for Week 17.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Third straight 100-yard effort
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Brown finished with six receptions on 13 targets for 100 yards in Monday's 22-19 overtime loss to the Chargers.
Brown paced the Eagles in targets and receiving production on Monday Night Football while posting his third 100-yard game in a row. The normally sure-handed receiver did leave some fantasy points on the table after committing drops on passes that hit him in the hands. One occurred on a beautifully-placed ball in the end zone, while a later drop directly resulted in one of QB Jalen Hurts' four interceptions in the overtime loss. After falling out of favor at times earlier in the schedule, Brown has garnered double-digit targets in four consecutive contests. The once disgruntled superstar is rounding into form just in time for the fantasy playoffs with a soft matchup against the Raiders on tap for Sunday.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Garners 11 targets on SNF
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Brown finished with seven receptions on 11 targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 16-9 win over Detroit.
Brown certainly was not devoid of targets in the primetime victory, pacing his team with six more looks than the next-highest receiver. Blustering winds in Philadelphia prevented many deep shots from being taken on Sunday Night Football, which put a cap on the star wideout's fantasy score outside of PPR formats. Brown has been vocal about his lack of involvement at times this year, so the season-high 11 targets should help ease the thoughts of concerned managers heading into next Sunday's tilt against the Cowboys.
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Eagles' A.J. Brown: Full practice following bye
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Brown (hamstring) practiced in full Thursday.
Brown sat out the Eagles' last game Week 8 versus the Giants due to a hamstring injury, but after the team's Week 9 bye, he was back on the practice field without limitations and thus will be available for Monday's visit to Green Bay. In the two games prior to the aforementioned DNP, Brown totaled 10 catches (on 15 targets) for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
