When Kevin Byard looks across the practice field, he still remembers the battles—the ones he had against A.J. Brown during their three seasons together with the Tennessee Titans. Now, as a member of the New England Patriots, Byard is open to the idea of reuniting with his former teammate, and the buzz around the league suggests it might just happen.

Brown has been at the center of trade rumors throughout this offseason, with the Patriots emerging as the most likely destination. Byard, for his part, is keeping an open mind—and an open playbook.

"We trained together in Tennessee… but no, we honestly haven’t talked about it directly. I don’t know what the situation is there," Byard said on Tuesday. "I hope it can work. I hope he can go there and play for us, but that remains to be seen."

The veteran safety is focused on building chemistry with his new teammates, including Romeo Doubs and Pop Douglas. But he’s quick to acknowledge what Brown would bring to the table. "If we were able to get A.J., obviously he’s an incredible talent, somebody I played with. He’s a true number one receiver in this league, so that’ll be awesome to pair up with him again."

Since being traded from Tennessee to Philadelphia after the 2021 season, Brown has been nothing short of dominant. He’s posted four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, earned two Pro Bowl selections, and secured three second-team All-Pro honors. For Byard, who has seen Brown up close in practice and on game days, the impact is undeniable.

"A number one receiver dictates coverage," Byard explained. "Whether it’s him being in Philly when you’re game planning against those guys, you still have to make sure you have the safety over top of A.J.—which obviously opens up things for a lot of other players. Dictating that coverage is a big thing with receiver ones, because if you have a really good receiver two, or a receiver three, now you can win a lot of one-on-ones."

Brown was drafted by the Titans in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, joining a roster where Byard had already established himself as an All-Pro. Their frequent matchups in practice forged a mutual respect that Byard believes could translate into something special in New England. For a Patriots team looking to reload its offense, adding a true number one receiver like Brown could be the game-changer they need—and Byard is ready to welcome him with open arms.