It’s been just under two months since the New England Patriots acquired star wide receiver A.J. Brown via trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, just three days into training camp, Brown is settling into New England’s offense, he told the media on Monday.
“I’m still getting comfortable every day,” Brown said after the Patriots’ walkthrough practice. “I’m in a pretty good spot. I want to say I’m like 90% [with the playbook]. It’s really just about going out and executing and getting on the same page
with Drake each and every day. But I’m really comfortable.”
New England parted ways with its 2028 first-round selection to acquire Brown at the start of June, effectively pairing Drake Maye with an elite receiver following his second-place finish in the 2025 NFL MVP race.
Brown has amassed 56 touchdowns through the air during his seven-year career. He is now entering an offense that struggled in red-zone touchdown efficiency, ranking 20th in the league last season.
The 29-year-old and Maye’s chemistry will play a crucial role in the offense reaching its highest potential in 2026. It’s also something the duo is continuing to work on, as the receiver called his new quarterback a “true professional.”
“Non-stop communication,” Brown said about what goes into creating that bond. “I’m just hearing what he thinks, and he listens to me. It’s constant communication.”
Their development with each other didn’t stop after mandatory minicamp in June either, with Maye hosting his wide receivers on a workout trip to his home turf in North Carolina.
“It was really helpful,” Brown said of the trip. “We spent three days down there. It was pouring rain, and we were still out there.”
On Saturday, Maye targeted Brown on the first team-period play of training camp, saying he saw his receiver matched up with standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez and wanted to start camp off with a “bang.”
However, Brown attempted to secure the pass by reaching out with one hand, which he said Mike Vrabel ”ripped” him during the first meeting. He agreed with his head coach that he should have caught the ball.
“Just being on the same page — communication,” Brown said of what tweaks he and Maye have to make. “Maybe an angle here. I may need to go higher or something small like that. The details are very small in this league, and you have to execute … You know how the game goes.”
Despite the incompletion, Vrabel took note of Brown’s effort in learning what is a new offense for him ahead of practice.
“There is a lot there to unpack as a receiver, especially if you want to move around and you do not want to just line up in one spot,” Vrabel said. “So, A.J. worked really hard with Todd [Downing] and his position coach, and they will continue to do that … I think he will have plenty of time through training camp and everything that we are going to do to make sure that he is where he needs to be.”
For the other wide receivers this offseason, the Ole Miss product has been a valuable resource. DeMario Douglas in particular mentioned he’s learned tips he can apply to his route running and understanding of the defense in front of him, with Brown’s “different” perspective.
“Great leadership,” Douglas said about what he’s seen from Brown. “He doesn’t say much, but if you watch what he does, it’s very glorifying. It helps — like lead by example. Don’t get me wrong, he does say stuff in the [receiver] room that us younger guys definitely need to know … But just to see what he says and does, it’s amazing.”
