'Done Deal': Top Patriots Insider Strongly Reacts To Latest A.J. Brown Rumor originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A top Patriots insider now is convinced that A.J. Brown will join New England this summer.

Appearing on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald offered a strong reaction to Adam Schefter's recent report about the Patriots being "likely" to trade for Brown after June 1. A Brown trade would become far more financially palatable for the Philadelphia Eagles after June 1, when they can split a $40 million dead-cap charge.

For Callahan, Schefter's reporting indicates a trade is all but guaranteed to happen.

"For him to say this, to me, says that this is a done deal; everyone is just waiting," Callahan said. "Because the insiders have done the dances around this. And I talked to people at the combine -- they were very confident that this was going to happen. I thought it's gonna happen since March.

"Schefter saying this out loud, understanding how plugged he is into the highest ranks of the Patriots organization and other places. To me, this says everything. A.J. Brown, June 2, should be a New England Patriot."

As for trade compensation, Schefter reported that the Eagles want a first-round pick in a future draft. Whether the Patriots or any team would meet that price remains to be seen.

However, everything could change if the Patriots select a receiver early in the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night.

More NFL: Adam Schefter Reveals Patriots Have 'Interest' In This Prospect With No. 31 Pick