Despite a dramatic and disappointing season, the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t rushing to make any decisions. Namely, the Eagles aren’t pushing star wide receiver A.J. Brown out the door, even after Brown publicly vented his frustrations throughout 2025.
“Regarding A.J. Brown, the Eagles are undecided on keeping him or not,” NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry reported out of the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis last week. “They are definitely listening and are open to moving him, as has been widely reported. But one thought around Brown possibly leaving that I hadn't heard before was that the Eagles LOVE DeVonta Smith. They think, as good as he's been in the NFL, he still hasn't reached his full potential and has ‘another gear’ he can get to.”
Berry continued, “That, if Smith were given the same kind of target share as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he could have that kind of year. They believe in his talent that much, and that's among the many reasons they would be okay moving Brown.”
The comparison to Smith-Njigba is interesting. The Seattle Seahawks traded away No. 1 receiver DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh last offseason, which made way for Smith-Njigba to become the Offensive Player of the Year en route to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory.
Also on Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter appeared on The Pat McAfee Showand spoke on Brown’s situation.
“I think A.J. Brown and Maxx Crosby are in a similar situation,” Schefter said. “Both teams not wanting to deal their guys, both teams open to listening, and both teams have to have an offer that they can’t say no to to move guys that they want to hold onto.”
On that note, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on Sunday, “Teams have contacted the Eagles about a potential Brown trade, but word is that Philly’s asking price remains too high.”
If Brown is dealt, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the New England Patriots as “a logical destination.” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was the Tennessee Titans head coach when they took Brown in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Titans traded Brown to Philadelphia during the 2022 NFL Draft, and Brown has recorded at least 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons with the Eagles.
According to the Boston Herald‘s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed, “The Patriots have explored trade talks” with the Eagles about Brown, “but feel the asking price is unserious.” Still, Callahan and Kyed reported, “Several league sources believe Brown could nonetheless be dealt.”
It’s generally assumed that star players want to go where they have a legitimate shot at winning a Super Bowl, but Brown is different. After the Eagles trounced the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX, the 28-year-old took to Instagram to explain that becoming a champion didn’t satisfy him like he thought it would. “My thrill for this game comes when I dominate,” he wrote, in part.
So, quite literally, all options are on the table.
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