What A.J. Brown’s history with Mike Vrabel tells us about Patriots WR plans

• A.J. Brown will reunite with his former head coach, Mike Vrabel, on the New England Patriots.
• Brown previously played for Vrabel on the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2021.
• Brown was traded from the Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2022 NFL Draft.

The 2026 season may be wide receiver A.J. Brown's first season with the New England Patriots, but it will not be his first time playing for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

Before Brown was an Eagle, he was a Titan. The Tennessee Titans drafted Brown with the No. 51 overall pick in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. It was Vrabel's second season as the Titans' head coach and marked the first time Tennessee made the playoffs during his tenure.

Brown went on to play two more years for the Titans, establishing himself as one of the NFL's best young wide receivers along the way. His time in Tennessee ended on draft night in 2022, when the Titans traded Brown to the Eagles for first- and third-round picks.

The Patriots' June 1 trade for Brown has reunited the wideout with the first head coach he played for in the NFL. Vrabel is a defensive-minded head coach, so a reunion between the two parties won't necessarily give additional insight into Brown's usage in the Patriots' offense.

Still, the familiarity between star and head coach should provide a good starting point for Brown's transition to New England, which ESPN's Adam Schefter reports was one of the receiver's "preferred destinations" because of his connection to Vrabel.

Here's a look back at Brown's history and stats from his time in Tennessee:

A.J. Brown Titans history

After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to end his collegiate career at Mississippi, the Titans drafted Brown in the middle of the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The rookie wideout caught three passes for 100 yards in his first game – and first start – but was relegated to a backup role after tallying 29 yards in his next two games.

Brown played in all 16 games with inconsistent time as a starter – 11 of them by the end of the year. He ended his rookie year with four 100-yard outings in his last six games but was held to 64 yards in his first three career playoff games. At the end of the year, Brown finished third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Kyler Murray and Josh Jacobs.

The next two years in Tennessee were impacted by a few injuries. Brown sustained a bone bruise in his knee in Week 2 of his second season, knocking him out for a couple of games. He still managed to set new career highs in receptions (70), receiving yards (1,075) and receiving touchdowns (11) en route to his first Pro Bowl season. Brown's final year in Tennessee was limited by hamstring and chest injuries, which limited him to 13 games and fewer than 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

During the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Titans traded Brown to the Eagles for a first- and third-round pick. Tennessee used the first-rounder to select Treylon Burks as Brown's apparent replacement in the offense. Philadelphia inked their new top wideout to a four-year, $100 million extension after the trade.

A.J. Brown stats with Titans

Here's a look at Brown's Titans career by the numbers, between 2019 and 2021:

• Games (starts): 43 (36)
• Receptions: 185
• Receiving yards: 2,995
• Yards per reception: 16.2
• Touchdowns: 24
• Rushing: Five attempts for 70 yards (14 yards per attempt) and one touchdown

Brown also had one Pro Bowl season (2020) with the Titans. His 16.2 yards per reception is the only mark higher with the Titans than with the Eagles (14.8).