Howie Roseman Breaks Silence on A.J. Brown Trade

Howie Roseman Left the Door Open to an A.J. Brown Trade in His Year-End Press Conference

The possibility of an A.J. Brown trade is one of the burning questions the Philadelphia Eagles must answer in the offseason. A disappointing end to an up-and-down season left fans wondering if a divorce was imminent. Howie Roseman was asked about this at his end-of-season press conference. While his answer was ambiguous, he gave an indication of what the All-Pro receiver’s future might hold.

During the general manager’s end-of-season press conference, Roseman was asked about how open he would be to trading the star receiver. Here’s what he had to say:

“We talked about this I think at the trade deadline last time I talked. It is hard to find great players in the NFL and A.J.’s a great player. I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for when we go out here in free agency and in the draft is trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy. I think that would be my answer.”

Roseman echoed the same sentiment he held when asked during the trade deadline. While this would indicate the Eagles not having interest in trading Brown, that shouldn’t be a foregone conclusion.

A.J. Brown Trade: Pros

While Howie Roseman is correct in everything he said, it shouldn’t be that simple for the Eagles. Yes, A.J. Brown is a great player. Yes, great players are hard to find. But that leaves out a lot of context about his current situation in Philadelphia.

To put it bluntly, Brown was a distraction for the Eagles during their 2025 season. Many games were followed by the inevitable discussion of Brown’s happiness in Philadelphia. From cryptic tweets to unexpected postgame comments, Brown stirred up controversy in almost every way.

While it is true that Brown is a great player still, the more important question is, how long will he be a great player? Brown was one of the most dominant wide receivers in the league at the beginning of his Eagles tenure. A game-breaking wide receiver who allowed the Eagles offense to do whatever they liked. Brown was not at that level in 2025. Still a great player? Yes. But, a great player who is starting to decline. Roseman has been known to move off players early rather than late. Maybe he continues that trend with Brown.

Trading Brown would come with short-term financial burdens, but there would also be long-term positives. By trading Brown, in the 2027-2029 seasons, they will gain roughly 133 million dollars in salary cap savings. These savings can be used on other looming contract extensions the Eagles face, including Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean, among others.

A.J Brown Trade: Cons

Trading A.J. Brown would come with negative consequences, too. The most obvious being the Eagles trading away a great player in the midst of a championship window. While Brown is not perfect, he is still a huge piece of the Eagles’ offense. Of the few times the Eagles’ offense was efficient, Brown played a huge role. If the Eagles want to compete for another championship, as Roseman said, it is hard to find great players. Trading one would not help to win another Super Bowl.

The short-term financial implications would not help the Eagles, either. If he is traded, the Eagles will incur a roughly 43 million dollar dead cap hit. A trade before June 1st will accelerate all of the dead cap charges to the 2026 season, meaning the Eagles will pay Brown roughly 43 million dollars to play on another team. A trade after June 1st will allow the Eagles to spread the dead cap over the 2026 and 2027 seasons, with roughly 16 million in 2026 and roughly 27 million in 2027. The Eagles have shown a willingness to take on dead cap hits in the past (Carson Wentz trade, for example). This is not something that they are eager to do, though. It would make it all the harder to win a Super Bowl in 2026.

Decision Awaits for Roseman, Eagles

The decision on trading Brown will also factor in the compensation the Eagles will receive. If the Eagles are able to fetch a first-round pick, and possibly more, it feels like a sure-fire decision that Roseman would pull the trigger. It remains to be seen what teams would be willing to offer for his services. Any package less than that would make it difficult to justify an A.J. Brown trade.

Anything can happen, as things can change at any moment. The Eagles are in for an interesting offseason with many tough decisions to be made. Trading Brown currently looks like a coin flip, with either possibility being justifiable. Only time will tell what the future holds for the Eagles and their superstar wide receiver.

Main Photo: [Mark Konezny] – Imagn Images