The A.J. Brown post-June 1st blockbuster finally happened. Last week, the 3x Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion was shipped to New England following months of speculation. The Eagles traded Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
For a little while, there was at least some noise about Brown potentially wanting the Chargers as a destination. Both Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer and former The Athletic insider Dianna Russini linked Brown to Los Angeles as at least a possibility from Brown's side. But for a few reasons, we now know why a deal never seemed particularly close.
The Chargers never showed much interest in now Patriots WR A.J. Brown, per reports.
As part of Breer's MMQB column, he went into more detail on how New England's trade for Brown eventually came to be. As speculated and reported about a few months ago, the Chargers were on Brown's list of preferred teams his camp gave to the Eagles. Here's Breer's section about those four teams in question:
Meanwhile, Brown’s camp gave the Eagles four AFC teams they’d be happy to land with: the Bills, Chargers, Chiefs and Patriots. The Bills traded for D.J. Moore soon thereafter, taking themselves off the market, while the Chiefs and Chargers didn’t show much interest in a deal, leaving the Patriots, who hadn’t put a first-round pick on the table yet much less a first-rounder and another high pick.
Ultimately, it seems like Brown was more interested in the Chargers than they ever were in him as a trade candidate. The Chargers have invested a decent amount of draft capital into wide receivers during the Joe Hortiz draft era:
2024: second-round pick on WR Ladd McConkey, two seventh-round selections on Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson
2025: second-round pick on WR Tre' Harris, fifth-round pick on KeAndre Lambert Smith (receiving TE Oronde Gadsden also selected in the fifth)
2026: fourth-round pick on WR Brenen Thompson
Not being interested in Brown is primarily because of the wide receivers they've already invested in via the draft. Time will tell if that's the right approach or if the Chargers will look back on this season thinking they should've acquired a vet upgrade. But the Chargers have essentially spent seven draft picks in three drafts on weapons for Justin Herbert under Hortiz. Breer has also said on a few occasions that Harris specifically is a breakout candidate this year and someone that the Chargers are internally high on.
Given the previous reporting, it's not a surprise to hear the Chargers weren't involved. Their ethos is also building through the draft. They view Mike McDaniel as they key on offense with the receivers they already have.
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