The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a big Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings, where it finally seemed like star quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown rediscovered some of their long-missing rhythm.
Brown hauled in four receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. However, he suffered a hamstring injury that has kept him out of practice all week and will sideline him for Sunday's matchup against the New York Giants - a team the Eagles lost to two weeks ago on “Thursday Night Football.”
Throughout the season, there's been growing speculation about Brown's future in Philadelphia, as frustration has reportedly mounted over his inconsistent target share from Hurts.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, one NFL defensive coordinator even noted that something appears off between the two stars.
"It's either a deep shot or a checkdown - not much in between,” they said. “The timing is just off. And you can see it on the field. The communication between Hurts and Brown just isn't there right now."
NFL fans had some concerning reactions to the report on social media.
“Unfortunately as an avid Birds fan for 64 years I am sad to say that AJ likely will be traded before the deadline. I have no doubt about this. Very sad that everyone could not make it work,” a fan said.
Someone else added: “$60M cap hit over 2 years and $46M cap hit next year says AJ Brown does NOT get traded. Howie will not wreck the salary cap to trade AJ when we need AJ to compete for another Super Bowl.”
Another person wrote: “I think the cap hit is too substantial for them to trade him right now. It's simply not happening.”
“You mean the communication where those two have to improve for a big play because the route concepts by the OC are so bad?” one more fan commented.
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 4, and while it would be quite surprising to see the Eagles move on from Brown at this point, things could get interesting depending on how the offense performs without him this week, with DeVonta Smith stepping in as the lead wide receiver.
Brown would likely draw a lucrative market if made available, as the Eagles could receive significant assets in return. With ongoing struggles in their secondary and potential needs elsewhere on the roster-or the desire to acquire additional draft capital-Brown could be a major trade chip.
At the same time, several teams across the league would undoubtedly line up for the opportunity to add an elite talent like Brown to their offense.
Brown has recorded 32 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns this season but has topped 100 receiving yards in only two games. The Super Bowl champion has also had two outings where he caught two or fewer passes for under 10 yards.
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