Morning sports update
Brown revealed that he had a Patriots rug in the basement of his house for years, long before his trade to New England.
AJ Brown before an Eagles game in December 2025. AP Photo/Caroline Brehman
AJ Brown speaks out after Patriots trade: Monday’s news that the Patriots have agreed to a trade with the Eagles to bring wide receiver AJ Brown to New England has been one of the worst-kept secrets in the NFL over the past few months.
Speculation about the rumored deal has continued for months, with analysts correctly concluding that it was only delayed due to the salary cap implications for Philadelphia. One obvious point in the ongoing trade talks has been Brown’s relationship with both Patriots and New England coach Mike Vrabel.
Discuss both topics in Interview with NBC Sports’ Maria Taylorwhich was released Tuesday morning after trading.
Interestingly enough, Brown admitted that he had a Patriots rug in his home for several years (obviously during his time with the Eagles).
“Some things never change,” Brown said, referring to his longtime Patriots fan base.
His connection with the Patriots since his youth
His relationship with the Patriots began when he was a child.
“At its simplest, my older cousin was a big Patriots fan, and at the time I wanted to grow up and be like him,” Brown told Taylor. “As I remember walking in, I was a Patriots fan because I wanted to be like my big cousin. And ever since then, Patriots, Patriots, Patriots.”
He noted that rooting for the Patriots in the Tom Brady era included ups and downs. Brown admitted he tried to kick friends out of a Super Bowl party as a kid when New England lost Super Bowl XLII to the Giants.
“Honestly, I’ve been through anything the Patriots have experienced over the years,” Brown said. “I’ve been through every high and low with them.”
Looking at his new opportunity in this context, Brown noted his elation when he learned the trade would happen.
“A dream come true,” Brown explained of the deal to New England. “I really am a kid in a candy store. Last night was like Christmas.”
“The kid inside me is ecstatic right now.”
Project Day of Disappointment
Brown revealed that he was originally optimistic about being selected by the Patriots during the 2019 NFL Draft.
“I remember the time I thought the Patriots were going to draft me in the first round, 32nd pick, and then I went home,” he recalls.
New England selected fellow wide receiver N’Keal Harry with the final pick of the first round. Harry played just three seasons in New England, and hasn’t been on an NFL roster since late 2024.
“Something about the Patriots broke my heart, so I went home — I left the draft party — and cried,” Brown recalled of that night. “The Patriots break my heart, but here we are now. Better late than never.”
What Mike Vrabel told him after the trade
One positive aspect of Brown ending up at Tennessee (the Titans selected him in the second round, 51st overall) was that he formed a relationship with then-Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. Although it was a difficult relationship at first, the two eventually became close.
“It was so tough. I’m like ‘I can’t catch a break,'” Brown said of Vrabel. “I made a mistake in practice. He says, ‘Get out.’”
Brown continued: “But he would push me to focus only on the little things, the details. He would hold me accountable.” “We became close over the years. My family became his family. His family became my family. We took care of each other. It’s not often that this happens. Especially in… [NFL]”This is not happening.”
Brown eventually blossomed with the Titans, and so did Vrabel visibly upset When Tennessee eventually traded him to the Eagles.
Now, things are back to normal for them, as they meet again in New England. What were the first words Vrabel said to the Browns after the trade? The 28-year-old receiver joked about the text message he received from the Patriots coach.
“Get open and catch the ball,” Brown quoted from Vrabel. “That’s what he always said. That’s what he said when they sent me to Tennessee, and that’s what he said again. ‘Open your door and catch the ball.’ “The mission remains the same.”
Trivia: AJ Brown was also drafted by the baseball team. Can you remember who they selected in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB Draft?
(Answer below).
Hint: It’s the same team that hired Theo Epstein as director of baseball operations before he became general manager of the Red Sox.
Results and timelines:
The Red Sox begin a three-game series against the Orioles at Fenway Park tonight at 6:45 p.m
More from boston.com:
Some analysis of the AJ Brown trade:
On this day: In 1995, the Red Sox defeated the Mariners 6-5 in 10 innings, thanks in large part to three home runs hit by Boston third baseman John Valentine (who went 5-for-5).
Daily highlight: Amidst a huge upset, Italian Matteo Arnaldi somehow won the point after a brilliant run, defeating American Frances Tiafoe in the end.
This gathering was incredible‼️ pic.twitter.com/DcUGbzIodm
– TNT Sports US (@TNTSportsUS) June 1, 2026
Trivia answer: Padres
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