A.J. Brown did not have to wait until the regular season to get his first opportunity to line up across from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The New England Patriots’ blockbuster offseason addition faced his former team Wednesday during the first of two joint practices in Foxborough, and Brown quickly became one of the biggest stories on the field.
Brown repeatedly connected with quarterback Drake Maye against Philadelphia’s defense, providing another glimpse of what could become one of the NFL’s most dangerous new quarterback-receiver combinations. One of their connections produced a sizable gain against the Eagles and was captured by Patriots on CLNS.
It was particularly notable considering the opponent. Brown spent four seasons in Philadelphia before the Eagles traded him to New England on June 1.
A.J. Brown Makes His Presence Felt Against Former Team
Brown’s reunion with Philadelphia was always going to command attention, but his production made it impossible to ignore.
Alex Conti of Patriots on CLNS charted Brown with nine receptions during Wednesday’s joint practice, according to Heavy. Brown consistently worked with Maye as the Patriots tested their revamped passing attack against one of the NFL’s more talented defenses.
The Patriots acquired Brown for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection after his four-year run with Philadelphia. Brown produced at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of those four seasons, including a franchise-record 1,496 yards in 2022. He finished his Eagles tenure with 1,003 receiving yards in 2025.
Now, he is being asked to become the centerpiece of Maye’s receiving corps.
Wednesday’s performance offered encouraging evidence that the partnership is progressing. Maye also entered the joint practices on a strong run, completing 15 of 17 passes during 11-on-11 work in New England’s previous full-speed practice, including a deep touchdown to Brown.
Patriots Getting Early Return on Blockbuster A.J. Brown Trade
New England paid a substantial price to acquire Brown, but the reasoning was straightforward.
Maye needed a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and Brown has spent most of his NFL career proving he can fill that role. The three-time Pro Bowler has 524 career receptions for 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns through seven NFL seasons.
The Patriots will get another opportunity to test the Maye-Brown connection when the teams hold their second joint practice Thursday. New England and Philadelphia will then meet in a preseason game Saturday at Gillette Stadium.
It is only August, and joint-practice statistics will disappear once the regular season begins.
Still, Brown getting heavily involved against the team that traded him is exactly the kind of development New England wanted to see.
