The Eagles were reportedly willing to listen to trade offers on wide receiver A.J. Brown in advance of this year’s deadline, though they were not prepared to deal him for anything less than a blockbuster package. Philadelphia could be more amenable to a swap this offseason.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler hears from several executives that the Eagles may look to move Brown at some point after the 2025 campaign comes to an end. Fowler also says there would be a market for the three-time Pro Bowler, who will turn just 29 in June and who is due $50MM in cash over the next two seasons (an eminently reasonable sum for a WR1, considering the receiver market has now moved into $40MM/year territory).
Philadelphia presumably would like to retain Brown for his on-field abilities, though his play this season has not generated as much attention as his comments about his team’s offense. Brown has publicly expressed his frustrations with the Eagles’ Kevin Patullo-coordinated attack on several occasions this year, and those grievances and the reporting they beget must be taxing on the team’s locker room, in Fowler’s estimation.
Fowler acknowledges Brown’s teammates may understand his concerns. After all, the limitations of Philly’s passing game are apparent, and the offense as a whole ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in terms of both yardage and points after finishing in the top-10 in both categories in 2024.
Despite that, and despite Brown’s apology for at least some of his comments – along with the fact that he declined to publicly blame the embattled Patullo earlier this month – his well-documented complaints necessitated a meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie back in November. It is therefore reasonable to think Lurie and GM Howie Roseman might entertain trade offers in 2026 after turning away prospective suitors last offseason.
Brown certainly has enjoyed an increased role in the offense over the past few games. After seeing double-digit targets just once in the first eight weeks of the season, he has hit that threshold in five of the Eagles’ last six contests (with the one exception being a 31-0 romp over the hapless Raiders). For the year, he has 73 receptions (on 114 targets) for 935 yards and seven touchdowns, and he is on pace to crack the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth time in his seven pro seasons (though his 12.8 yards-per-catch rate is a career-low).
If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they would lose roughly $20MM in 2026 cap space. They could save $7MM on next year’s cap by dealing him after June 1.