The New England Patriots, in a quest to replicate their Super Bowl run from last season and go all the way through in the 2026 NFL season, made a massive commitment by trading for wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this June.

As the Patriots acquired Brown’s services, the Philadelphia Eagles in turn received a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick. However, the New England-based franchise did not get the on-field output it hoped for from the wideout, thanks to injuries that cut short Brown’s 2026 NFL regular season to just three appearances.

With A.J. Brown now ruled out for two consecutive weeks, speculation about his return has only made Patriots fans more anxious. Reacting to Brown’s injury, former Cincinnati Bengals legend wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, during an appearance on the “Speakeasy” podcast on Friday, questioned the Patriots’ decision to give up their valuable first-round draft pick to acquire A.J. Brown, suggesting the franchise may already regret the trade. The former Pro Bowl wideout also pointed out that New England expected significant production in the coming seasons.

“They regret it already. They gave up a first-round pick for A.J. Brown. Howie Roseman, the swindler. He got him. He got him”, Houshmandzadeh said (1:01 Timestamp).

“Regardless of what A.J. Brown does moving forward, you know the Patriots, when you give up a first-rounder, you’re expecting big production this year, big production next year, and you ain’t even tripping off the first-rounder. You didn’t get the production this year, so now you don’t even care what happens next year. You don’t even care unless he just goes crazy and we win a Super Bowl; you don’t care. It’s just unfortunate”, he said (1:19 Timestamp).

A.J. Brown first suffered a Grade 3 high-ankle sprain during the Patriots’ Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, which sidelined him for the next four weeks. A right knee issue flare-up during practice ahead of his side’s Week 8 fixture against the Dolphins has now sidelined the wideout for two consecutive weeks.

How Has A.J. Brown Fared In The NFL?

While the decision to trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown while giving away a valuable 2028 first-round pick may seem like a bad decision on the New England front in retrospect given Brown’s injury-marred 2026 NFL campaign, his consistent on-field production throughout his 8-season-long NFL career could be one of the reasons behind the Patriots’ massive first-round pick commitment.

In his 108 games played, Brown has recorded 533 receptions for 8,130 receiving yards and 56 touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per reception. The three-time Pro Bowler was also instrumental in helping the Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LIX in 2024.

As the New England Patriots sit second in the AFC East with a 5-3 record, head coach Mike Vrabel clearly wants A.J. Brown back fit and healthy as soon as possible, given the franchise’s push for a playoff berth this season.