Jets fans will love that Patriots reportedly hit a road bump in pursuit of A.J. Brown

The New York Jets made some massive changes to both sides of the ball. They look to raise the floor defensively while adding new weapons along with the return of quarterback Geno Smith.

The Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots are the top two teams in the AFC East going into the 2026 season. So any hurdle that they have to clear will put a smile on the face of Jets fans. And that's exactly the case regarding New England and receiver A.J. Brown.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport revealed that Philadelphia and New England don't have a deal in place, and it might be that for a while.

"The Patriots are not willing to give up a first-round pick as of right now, that means they’re not particularly close, and that means there’s a chance this could drag on for the foreseeable future."

Ian Rapoport

Rapoport made it clear that the Eagles have been adamant on getting a first-round pick back for Brown, but if they don't get that offer from the Patriots, they might hold onto him. And anytime the Jets can see New England struggle in any way, it will make fans and anyone in the building happy.

Jets watch as Patriots hit a roadblock in A.J. Brown trade sweepstakes

The offseason hasn't been ideal for the Patriots. They released receiver Stefon Diggs after just one year in town, then head coach Mike Vrabel was in the news cycles after being seen out with reporter Dianna Russini.

And now it appears that they need to get a common ground in order to get Brown. At this time, the Patriots are still the favorites to acquire the star receiver, but as fans of the NFL know, anything can happen. If a team comes to Philadelphia with a first-round pick in the offer, there's a shot that they could steal Brown right from under the Pats.

For a Jets team that has lost 18 of the last 20 games to New England, this is the update you love to see. For a large portion of the offseason, it was widely assumed that Brown would be quickly dealt to the Patriots after June 1, yet that likely won't be the situation here.

There's a world in which the Eagles don't get the offer they want, keep him around for 2026, and revisit the same convo next year. Or someone else could sneak in and give Philadelphia exactly what they desire.

Regardless, trade discussions between the Eagles and Patriots haven't progressed to the point where a deal seems close, and that's certainly a win for the Jets, as they get to watch the Patriots hit a rough patch in talks.

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