It didn't take very long for New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to begin gushing over freshly acquired, stud wide receiver A. J. Brown.
After Brown officially passed his physical on Tuesday, June 2, the 28-year old veteran went on to join his teammates in practice.
Judging by the vibrant reactions in general, including from Brown himself, it sure feels like day one had a noticeably enthused atmosphere at the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.
But nothing seems to have eclipsed the words from McDaniels, who compared Brown to legendary Patriots tight end and four-time Super Bowl champion, Rob Gronkowski.
"There's a force to the way he [Brown] plays the game," McDaniels said. "Maybe the closest thing I've seen is Gronk. This is a big guy."
What McDaniels' Gronk Comparison Reveals About A.J. Brown's Role in New England's Offense
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While Brown, a three-time NFL All-Pro receiver, has held a commanding physical presence on the field over the years, a comparison to a "one of one" type of player like Gronkowski might understandably raise some eyebrows.
A quick look at the tale of the tape already conveys some glaringly significant differences between the two:
- Rob Gronkowski — 6'6", 265 lbs
- A.J. Brown — 6'1", 226 lbs
To be fair to McDaniels, however, the offensive guru probably wasn't exactly making an apples to apples to comparison when offering up that lofty praise, but rather emphasizing Brown's imposing physical traits that allow him to win more often than not against opposing defensive backs.
The highlight reel of Brown's time with the Eagles that the Patriots' social media team dropped on Monday night showed more than a few 50/50 balls that the star receiver won, which is absolutely on par with what Gronkowski routinely did on the field, particularly in the red zone.
With some users on Twitter/X predictably voicing strong opposition to the comparison — "That's the stupidest comparison ever, he's nothing like Gronk" — one thing that most Patriots fans can probably agree on is that McDaniels plans to feed Brown on a highly regular basis.
And while it would be difficult for Brown, or anyone for that matter, to duplicate Randy Moss' memorable first season in New England under McDaniels (23 touchdowns, 1,493 receiving yards), it would be surprising if the three-time Pro Bowler does not end up seeing a similarly high volume of targets throughout the 2026 NFL season.
For now, however, with Brown having already stated, "I know this ain't heaven, but it's close to it," on his very first day at the Patriots practice facility, McDaniels and star quarterback Drake Maye might have quickly found themselves in a special heaven of their own.
"Just to be in that arena, in Gillette Stadium, it's gonna mean everything to me," Brown later said. "Obviously I've played there before, but just to wear the [Patriots] uniform and put all that on, it's gonna be so special. It's gonna be so special.”
Brown was traded to the Patriots by the Philadelphia Eagles on June 1 in exchange for two future draft picks, including a first-round pick in 2028.
