A.J. Brown linked with three teams other than the Patriots amid trade rumors

Many members of the NFL community continue to believe that the Philadelphia Eagles will trade wantaway wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots. A deal wouldn't get done before June 1 for reasons related to the salary cap.

However, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US suggested in a piece published on Wednesday that one of three other teams could swoop in to steal Brown from New England over the next few weeks. 

A.J. Brown linked with two AFC teams and one NFC club

Specifically, La Canfora mentioned the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars as potential landing spots for Brown. 

"The Chiefs, for instance, were linked with many receivers in the top of the draft but leaned heavily into fortifying the defense on the first two days of selections," La Canfora explained. 

Additionally, a Kansas City team that could use some help at the position is looking to make a return to glory during what may become the final season of tight end Travis Kelce's Hall of Fame career. Kansas City also likely wants to make life easier for quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he works to recover from the torn ACL and torn LCL he suffered this past December. 

While the 49ers signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans in free agency, San Francisco is expected to part ways with receiver Brandon Aiyuk before Week 1 of the 2026 season arrives. San Francisco is a win-now team that may be willing to take a big swing at claiming what has been an elusive Super Bowl championship for the franchise. 

"Jags receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has regressed and been the subject of trade rumors," La Canfora continued, "and 2025 top pick Travis Hunter is going to be playing way more cornerback than receiver moving forward...a vet like Brown could help fill a void there."

Why the Patriots are probably still the favorites to win the A.J. Brown sweepstakes

The perception exists that Brown wants to once again play for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who was Brown's head coach when the two were with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 through the 2021 season. History shows teams may shy away from a receiver who has a particular destination in mind, especially one who has shown he will let the world know when he is feeling frustrated during a season.