The New England Patriots’ Wednesday joint practice marked the first time wide receiver A.J. Brown could reunite with his former Philadelphia Eagles teammates since he was traded to the Patriots on June 1.
But still, Brown’s primary focus was on his craft and the everyday process of training camp as New England hosts the Eagles for two joint practice sessions. On the first day, the 29-year-old logged an active seven-catch performance.
“It was just work, man. [The] same old meetings that we’ve been having,
same attention to detail, preparing, getting ready for practice,” Brown said after practice. “Just coming out here and focusing on myself each and every rep.”
Brown was Drake Maye’s top target in what was a productively efficient practice for the offense and the Patriots’ passing attack, with the quarterback completing 16 of his 19 pass attempts.
Maye also displayed the newfound trust he has in his receiver.
During one of the 11-on-11 periods, Philadelphia brought immediate pressure, prompting New England’s signal-caller to lob a well-placed pass up to Brown deep toward the right sideline off his back foot. Brown hauled in the over-the-shoulder catch with Eagles cornerback Tariq Woolen in tight coverage, then rallied the Foxboro crowd in celebration.
And as the Ole Miss product’s chemistry with Maye continues to grow, Brown said he’s now “100%” comfortable with Josh McDaniels’ offense and “ready to go.”
“[There have] definitely been some challenges, but [Maye is] very special. He makes my job a lot easier,” Brown said about what it’s been like learning a new quarterback. “Just learning how he sees the game and just getting on the same page. So [there’s] definitely a learning curve that we continue to try to keep working on.”
When asked how Maye makes his life easier, Brown pointed out his quarterback’s arm talent, reasoning that Maye can “place the ball anywhere.” He also credited the 23-year-old with how well he sees the game and the field, noting that Maye is commanding greatness and pushing everyone on offense.
Even after concluding last season as the No. 2 scoring offense in the league on a per-game basis (28.8), the Patriots felt they could upgrade with Brown, willing to part with a 2028 first-round pick to acquire him. With 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns on 524 receptions for his career thus far, he can provide Maye with an elite No. 1 option in 2026 as the N.C. native looks to improve after a near-MVP campaign.
“It’s funny, just not being around [Brown] day-to-day for whatever years it was, from Tennessee to Philly, now here. Just an overall maturity, the way that he communicates with coaches, the way he communicates with players,” head coach Mike Vrabel said before practice about Brown’s leadership.
“So, he’s accountable. He gets mistakes corrected. You can coach him hard. Todd [Downing] can coach him hard. Josh [McDaniels] can coach him hard. He wants to do well for the entire offense, and he wants to be a contributor.“
During a special teams period, Brown also spent extensive time on the Eagles’ half of the sideline, chatting with former teammates.
“Oh, man, it was love,” Brown said about seeing his former teammates. “I know I’m on an opposing team right now, but I still felt some love.”
That reconnection was also felt on the turf.
Brown and Philadelphia cornerback Quinyon Mitchell repped against each other to open the one-on-one throwing session. Maye’s pass fell incomplete after lofting a deep ball to Brown in the end zone.
“[Mitchell] got away with a hold,” Brown lightheartedly said. “I won, and he caught himself back in the play. I just have to finish the play. That’s on me: attention to detail, catching the ball high and then getting low … It’s love between me and ‘Q,’ man … I [have] so much respect for him. He’s an All-Pro who’s going to continue to get better.”
Following the draft-day trade in 2022, Brown spent four seasons with the Eagles, where he became a Super Bowl champion in 2025 and logged two championship-game appearances.
“[Milton Williams] played there; A.J. played there. I think these guys are professionals, and they’ve shown that they want to practice for us,” Vrabel said about if he expects the two practices to be emotional for Brown. “I’m sure there are some added feelings for them, but I’m not going to try to explain what those are.
“Those are their feelings, and again, they’re part of our team. We’re really excited to have both of those guys. They’ve practiced hard, whether it was against us or against the Colts.”
New England squares off against Philadelphia for another joint session on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s preseason game in Gillette Stadium at 7 p.m.
