AJ Brown has been traded to the New England Patriots. However, it was not the trade itself that got fans talking. It was his jersey number.
Brown will wear No. 1 for the Patriots. It is a change from the No. 11 he wore throughout his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles. The player wore the same number even in high school and at Ole Miss.
The Patriots confirmed the number by posting a photo edit of Brown in a No. 1 jersey on social media, with the caption "WR1." The trade itself was confirmed on June 1, 2026. New England sent a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for Brown.
Fans reacted with mockery over the number switch
Many fans had assumed Brown would wear No. 11. The reaction online was swift. Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub said, "Hope nobody got ahead of themselves and bought a No. 11 AJ Brown jersey." Brian Hines of Pats Pulpit wrote, "A.J. Brown going back to his Ole Miss days in No. 1." Kevin Maggiore, also of 98.5 The Sports Hub, added, "Can't believe they'd give someone Ja'Lynn Polk's old number."
Others pointed to the Patriots' history with No. 1. One fan noted, "Crazy to see him wear this knowing he could've been in it the whole time, instead we had N'Keal Harry wearing that number." "The goofy 1. The lying 1. The 1 actual problem Wanted to be 1 so bad he sabotaged a sb repeat congrats," a fan wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}Others pointed to the Patriots' history with No. 1. One fan noted, "Crazy to see him wear this knowing he could've been in it the whole time, instead we had N'Keal Harry wearing that number." "The goofy 1. The lying 1. The 1 actual problem Wanted to be 1 so bad he sabotaged a sb repeat congrats," a fan wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | AJ Brown will ditch his famous No 11 jersey at the Patriots; NFL insider explains why
Brown chose the number out of respect for Julian Edelman
Journalist Mike Reiss of ESPN reported on June 2, 2026, that Brown said he wanted to respect Julian Edelman, even though Edelman had given him his blessing to wear No. 11. Brown also said the number takes him back to his roots. "And getting back to my roots, I was No. 1 up until I got into the league, and I tried to get No. 1 in Tennessee and I couldn't because of Warren Moon, and even in Philly, I tried to get No. 1, but Jalen (Hurts) just changed to 1 from 2. So, it's a match made in heaven, going back to my roots and it feels good," he said
Edelman is considered one of the greatest players in Patriots history. Brown had appeared on Edelman's podcast earlier in the offseason and received a signed Edelman jersey, which he posted about enthusiastically on Instagram.
Brown will become the first Patriots player to wear No. 1 since Ja'Lynn Polk, who wore it before being traded to New Orleans.