A.J. Brown trade delivers Chargers another brutal addition to their 2026 slate

The Los Angeles Chargers' 2026 schedule, in some ways, seems manageable.

They have a pair of easy matchups at home to start the season against the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. They'll have another opportunity to string some wins together near the end of the season before their pair of divisional matchups in Weeks 17 and 18. At the very least, a Wild Card berth should be well within reach.

But that doesn't mean things won't be tough. They have a seven-game slate between Weeks 3 and 10 that will feature the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens. Through these matchups, both sides of the ball will be heavily tested for the Chargers.

The Bills, Chiefs, Seahawks, Rams, and Ravens could easily be among the top offenses in the league in 2026. The Seahawks, Broncos, and Texans should reclaim their place among the league's top defenses.

But Rams' acquisition of Myles Garrett on Monday added another formidable foe to this slate. Now, the New England Patriots made their long-awaited move for A.J. Brown.

Los Angeles is slated to face them in Week 12. If Brown has an immediate, positive impact on the New England offense, it could add another highly difficult matchup to the Chargers' schedule.

A.J. Brown is just another addition to the long list of formidable foes the Chargers must face in 2026

The Garrett trade is one thing. The Rams are certainly making a major upgrade in swapping out Jared Verse for the NFL's leading sack-getter from a year ago. But their defense was already poised to be formidable with their acquisition of Trent McDuffie. Garrett, as good as he is, is icing on top of the cake for the Rams.

Brown has a chance to change the entire outlook of New England's offense if he can reach the heights of production he did in his first two seasons in Philadelphia.

In 2025, the Patriots' offense operated well above expectations, in large part due to the ascendant play of Drake Maye. Their leading receiver, Stefon Diggs, is no longer on the team. While they added Romeo Doubs this offseason, there's certainly room for regression there independent of the Brown trade.

But Brown gives Maye and the Patriots an alpha target, one who can take advantage of Maye's arm strength and ability to throw downfield. If he's able to take on the target share he once did for Philadelphia, he could be the piece that the entire New England offense hinges upon.

In the grander scheme of the Chargers' schedule, the Patriots matchup isn't a must-win. If they can exit Week 10 with at least six wins and avoid any upsets against teams like the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they should be in an excellent position.

But Brown's addition to their slate undeniably represents another challenge they must face in 2026.

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