A.J. Brown has only been a New England Patriot for about seven weeks. He’s made it clear he’s happy in his new home.
Brown has earned rave reviews with his work getting open in official team activities, putting a talented group of defensive backs to the test. Despite a frustrating 2025 with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots are hoping he can be a gotta-have-it huckleberry on third downs and a viable deep threat along the sideline for a team that made it to the Super Bowl despite an underwhelming receiving corps. Brown will pair with free agent signee Romeo Doubs in hopes of pushing quarterback Drake Maye from “MVP runner-up” to “bonafide superstar.”
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To hear Brown tell it, Maye has all the qualities to get there beyond his downfield accuracy and scrambling ability.
“He’s a true leader and he leads the room,” Brown said in an interview. “It says a lot that young guy grabs everybody’s attention. This is a leader of men I’m speaking about, and that right there is not a trait that is easily found in men.
“The fun thing is that he can make any throw,” he continued. “That’s what you wanna see and he does it very easily.”
Maye’s ascendance not only brought the Patriots an AFC title, but his inexpensive rookie contract created the spending room to absorb Brown’s deal and pay Doubs $17 million annually. If those new wideouts can unlock a new level for the young quarterback — one that keeps him from crumbling into dust in the postseason — it will secure New England’s place among AFC contenders. Brown may just be toeing the company line by pumping up his new team, but given Maye’s remarkable growth it’s clear there’s truth behind his praise.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: A.J. Brown is already saying all the right things about ‘true leader’ Drake Maye
