It has certainly been an interesting offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles, as they have been talking to the New England Patriots a lot, but it might not be for one reason.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has been attached to trade rumors to the Patriots since he knows New England's head coach, Mike Vrabel, from their time with the Tennessee Titans. ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss shared his latest report: the Eagles and Patriots are talking, but not because of Brown.
"Vrabel and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni have had preliminary discussions about the possibility of having the teams practice together in the preseason -- likely in Foxborough, according to a league source. Part of that would be tied to the NFL granting the teams' request to face each other in the preseason, which isn't usually a major hurdle. If it happens, the atmosphere and competition at the newly named New Balance Practice Fields would be buzzing."
Eagles and Patriots could be having joint practices together in 2026
It's not uncommon for teams to do that, as the Eagles did it last year with the Cleveland Browns before their preseason game. Eagles and Patriots typically play each other in the preseason every year, or at least every other year, because of how close they are.
An Eagles-Patriots joint practice would probably have more attention in 2026 than any other one. If the Eagles do indeed trade Brown to the Patriots, it would be interesting to see how he reacts to practicing against his old teammates from Philly.
Most likely, there wouldn't be any confrontations between the two sides, as Brown is a very popular teammate in Philly and is seen as a leader within the locker room. There could be some competitive moments, but Eagles players love Brown, Sirianni, and the coaching staff.
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Eagles fans will have to wait and see whether a trade gets done and whether a joint practice gets set up. There could be more drama between the Eagles and Patriots soon enough.