Jason Kelce Reacts to Eagles Trading AJ Brown to Patriots
As expected post-June 1, the Philadelphia Eagles traded star wide receiver A.J. Brown on Monday to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
It was a move many saw coming to some extent, especially after Brown's reported frustration in Philadelphia during the previous season, despite surpassing 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth time in his career.
Reacting to the deal on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast released Wednesday was Eagles legend Jason Kelce, who was briefly teammates with Brown for two seasons.
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"Here's the reality. A.J. Brown was not the reason the Eagles offense was not successful last year," Kelce said. "He's a very good football player. I don't want to hear all this ‘has he lost a step' talk … we're going to find out this year.
"I think he's going to have a really good year. How does a relationship like this start to falter? It's because you don't have success on the field. The Eagles offense continued to decline in the passing game. Execution fuels emotion. When you're not performing, this is the reality of the league … this is how it goes.
"Do I wish A.J. would've handled it better at times? Yes. But I don't fault him for being frustrated that he wasn't getting what he wanted out of the game and playing for the Philadelphia Eagles."
Kelce has remained very vocal in his opinions on the Eagles since retiring, and their offensive struggles - particularly in the passing game - were a consistent talking point throughout last season. Those issues ultimately played a role in Brown's future in Philadelphia, as his production, at least by his usual standards, declined.
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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 10:31 AM.