FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A.J. Brown wears the number one on his jersey. And that made sense in just about every way during the New England Patriots’ joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles this week.
He was the best receiver on either team during the sessions. He was the Patriots’ No. 1 weapon.
He was worth a first-round pick — a "1" — in a trade between the two teams this offseason. And he was the No. 1 point of interest as fans and media members watched practices.
It’s because of the trade, of course. It’s because of the drama that unfolded between Brown and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. It’s about Brown’s criticisms of the "passing game" when he was in Philly.
It’s about Brown openly mocking his own lack of production in 2025. And it’s about the fresh start in New England. "He looks a little better, a little faster," Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell said after practice Wednesday.
"He’s going to keep getting better. … He just gives you so many tough battles and tough assignments. It was really just great to go out there and compete with him again today." With Brown’s unpredictability, however, there’s always the wonder of: What will he do next — on the field and off it? (And will something go wrong?) That’s why a reporter asked Hurts if he’d give any advice to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye about getting the most out of Brown. "I think Drake has had a lot of success already, so I don’t know what my advice would do," Hurts said Wednesday.
"I just think he needs to continue the progression that he’s on." Brown didn’t speak to Hurts before or after that first practice. Nor did Brown connect with Eagles WR1 DeVonta Smith on day one. But during the second day, Brown walked over to Smith to chat for a few minutes.
Brown then found Hurts after practice on Thursday. "It’s not about no closure or anything," Brown said after Wednesday’s joint practice. "It’s love.
I won a Super Bowl ring with them. It’s always going to be love no matter how anyone feels. I love Philly and I will always love Philly.
But I’m here now and this is where my feet are and that’s where I’m focusing." It felt inauspicious when Brown started competitive drills on Wednesday in a one-on-one against former teammate Quinyon Mitchell. Though Brown created easy separation on a fade route, running directly downfield for the end zone, Maye underthrew the ball and Mitchell logged a relatively easy pass breakup. But Brown argued it wasn’t exactly clean.
"Q got away with a little holding," Brown said with a laugh. "I won, he pulled himself back into the play, and I just have to finish the play. My right hand didn’t get to the ball quick enough.
My left hand got on the ball. That’s on me. … That could have been a 40-yard bomb, but now it’s a long foul ball. Those are the things I’m focusing on." That play did not, however, prove predictive of how Brown would fare over the two days when he had more than 10 catches in team drills and countless touchdowns.
He spent most of the two days running against Mitchell — with a few matchups against cornerback Riq Woolen, the No. 2 option in Philly. In one case, Maye’s ball placement to Brown proved simply impossible to defend, with the Patriots QB dropping the pass over Woolen for a big catch-and-run for Brown.
Brown’s most dominant play came in an 11-on-11 red zone drill. He couldn’t get open in the end zone, trying to work to the sideline, where Mitchell had outside leverage (blocking Brown’s path). Maye looked at the situation and, while it was a no-throw look, the QB threw it that way anyway.
Brown fought back for the ball and a touchdown. It was a sign of how much Maye has come to trust Brown. They had no business attempting — let alone completing — the play.
They did it, anyway. The Eagles, meanwhile, were feeling Brown’s absence — and then some. Top receivers Smith and rookie Makai Lemon were both out with hamstring strains, which left Hurts to work with Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks and Britain Covey, among others.
Hurts threw three interceptions in 7-on-7s on Wednesday and then threw two more in 11-on-11s on Thursday. This passing offense might require patience from the fans in Philly. I’m just not sure that we can expect patience from the fans in Philly.
Other Observations From Patriots-Eagles Joint Practice: Saquon Barkley looked about as quick and explosive as I’ve seen him. This is the time of year when teams blow smoke about breakout players and resurgent players and best-shape-of-their-life players. But it’s not an exaggeration to say that the 29-year-old running back dominated the Patriots' defense on the first day of practice.
He was solid on day two. It was all the more impressive considering the Eagles’ struggles in the passing game. It’s easy to imagine that, without Brown, Barkley could become the lifeblood of the unit, both as a runner and pass-catcher.
"We'll see the Saquon of two years ago," Eagles tackle Lane Johnson said after day one. "We'll see the big plays. We’ll see him flexed out at receiver.
We’ll see him in the screen game. You saw a bit of it [Wednesday]." If that’s true (and it looked like it might be), the Eagles will once again be dangerous, even without Brown. Be careful of what you see in one-on-one drills (like in the video below) — as opposed to what’s reported about team drills.
They can tell two different stories. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredible to watch the drama unfold in a one-on-one. But it’s also not exactly real football like an 11-on-11 or even a 7-on-7. (There’s also a reason you’ll mostly see one-on-one clips on social media.
Because of team rules, it’s generally OK to record one-on-ones but it’s not allowed, league-wide, for reporters to record 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s.) So that’s all to say: Some guys shine in one-on-ones and then disappear in 11-on-11s … when it counts. And in these practices, Eagles receiver Dontayvion Wicks was one of those guys. Many members of the fantasy community have already turned him into their darling — or sleeper.
I’d like to offer a word of caution: Wicks had every reason to shine in team drills, with Smith and Lemon injured — and Patriots cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis also injured. Yet in all his work with Hurts on day one, Wicks had two catches on three targets — and the missed pass wasn’t just an incompletion (in 7-on-7), it tipped off Wicks' hands and deflected into the hands of Patriots safety Charles Woods. On day two, Wicks had another drop and, later, he saw Marcus Jones undercut his route for an interception on Hurts.
After the Super Bowl, there was as much interest in Patriots left tackle Will Campbell as any offensive lineman in recent memory — at least in New England. Campbell struggled mightily during the playoffs, and those issues culminated in the Super Bowl when he allowed 14 pressures and a sack against the Seattle Seahawks. It was a terrible performance by the rookie, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But listen to what five-time All-Pro tackle Johnson had to say about spending the offseason working with Campbell. "Will just kind of reminds me of myself in a way. Just a country kid, drafted first round, so I know the kind of pressures that are on guys like that.
And so, for me, I thought he had a really good rookie season," Johnson said Wednesday. "You can see him getting better. He looks thicker, bigger.
He's healed up from his knee injury." I’ve referred to Gonzalez’s absence already in this postcard. The Pro Bowl corner was not on the field for any of the Patriots’ three joint practices with the Eagles and the Colts. It feels like it wasn’t that big of a storyline, because the opponents’ top receivers (Smith and Alec Pierce) weren’t on the field either.
But Gonzalez is the Patriots’ most important defender. It’s a big deal he’s not there. It’s a bigger deal that New England still hasn’t exactly clarified why he’s not there.
Head coach Mike Vrabel hasn’t outright said that Gonzalez is injured. The coach also hasn’t outright confirmed that Gonzalez is holding in. But that’s what’s clearly happening, even if no one will admit it.
The cornerback wants a big contract, and while the Patriots and Gonzalez’s camps did discuss an extension back at the combine in February, per a source, there doesn’t seem to have been much progress. "Josh [McDaniels] is incredible, man. He's making my job a lot easier, and he's creating matchups for me, moving me around." — A.J.
Brown, who worked with four different offensive coordinators in four years in Philly For the Eagles, it’s really about getting their top two receivers, Smith and Lemon, healthy. Barkley, Hurts and tight end Dallas Goedert are good players. But this offense will need help at receiver to truly reach its full potential.
That isn’t to say Philly should rush Smith and Lemon back. The Eagles have the Commanders in Week 1 and the Titans in Week 2. Both are beatable — perhaps even without those two guys.
But by Weeks 3 and 4, when they’ll have to face the Bears and the Rams, the Eagles will want their receivers healthy and in-sync with Hurts. Philly's defense is definitely going to be good — but maybe not transcendent. Given what we saw from the Patriots' offense (which posted really strong performances), it seems good teams will be able to move the ball on the Eagles.
And so the offense won’t be able to rely quite as much on the defense. For New England, it’s really starting to look like Super Bowl or bust. The Patriots have now drubbed the Colts and the Eagles over three total days of joint practices.
Drake Maye appears to have continued to progress in the ways the Patriots wanted. He had a boneheaded interception each day, so it's not perfect. But Brown makes life a whole lot easier.
And defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones and receiver Romeo Doubs, both offseason additions, are quietly proving their worth, too. The Patriots still need some help off the edge. There are also some lingering questions about the quality they’ll get from their interior offensive line.
But on the whole, this team will be in terrific shape when it gets Gonzalez and Davis back in the starting lineup. There’s continuity. There’s more talent.
There might be a tougher schedule, but the Patriots took the time and spent the money to fortify themselves against the increased degree of difficulty.
