Some around the NFL won’t close the door on the Philadelphia Eagles trading wide receiver A.J. Brown, according to The Athletic’s Zach Berman.
Berman reported Monday that “few are convinced that Brown will return,” with the New England Patriots considered to be in pole position if a trade happens:
“My sense is there’s fatigue from Eagles fans on this topic, which is understandable. It seems like the boy cried wolf this offseason (and I won’t run away from that charge because I’ve written and discussed this topic since the first week of the offseason), and I wouldn’t expect anything to take place for the next two months. But I still think this is a real possibility after June 1. The best outcome from a football perspective would still be to bring Brown back, but there’s a reason why this story hasn’t gone away and why league executives expect Brown in New England.”
This echoes reporting from Berman’s colleague Mike Sando, who wrote on April 2 that “execs expect the Patriots to acquire receiver A.J. Brown from Philadelphia in June.”
New England signed Romeo Doubs but still has a need for a true No. 1 receiver. Brown is the best one who’s plausibly available right now, though the Eagles have maintained a united front publicly saying otherwise.
General manager Howie Roseman told reporters in March that “A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles.”
“From my perspective, anything you ask me about A.J. Brown, I’m going to go right back to that answer,” he said at the NFL league meetings. “But I understand the interest. I put on TV and I see that there’s interest, but my answer is A.J. Brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Coach Nick Sirianni maintained the same position on the situation, as did owner Jeffrey Lurie.
In what was considered a down year, Brown still cracked 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth time in six seasons. If the Eagles were to trade him, there are no guarantees they can replace him with a wideout who’s just as good.
There are also the salary cap considerations behind the move. If Philly were to trade the three-time Pro Bowler after June 1, it would save $7 million but trigger dead cap hits of $16.4 million in 2026 and $27.2 million in 2027.
From the Eagles’ perspective, it must be tiring to answer the same questions with the same responses. The fact these rumors refuse to go away has to be telling in some regard.
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