A.J. Brown
Getty
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
If you’ve got draft picks and some salary cap money to burn — specifically a 1st round pick — and you haven’t reached out to the Philadelphia Eagles about trading for wide receiver A.J. Brown, are you even trying to win games?
The latest draft pitch for Brown came from NFL.com’s Matt Okada on Tuesday and proposes to send the 3-time NFL All-Pro and a 2027 4th round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for the Chargers’ 2026 1st round pick (No. 22 overall), along with former 1st round pick and wide receiver Quentin Johnston.
Considering the run of incredible moves the Eagles have made in terms of 1st round picks — 2 of their last 3 1st rounders have become NFL All-Pro selections – an extra 1st round pick might be worth its weight in gold for general manager Howie Roseman.
“Brown is a solid fit for new OC Mike McDaniel’s offense, which has historically thrived on in-breaking routes,” Okada wrote. “Brown logged the sixth-most receiving yards over expected on such routes last season, per NGS. Also, under McDaniel in 2025, the Dolphins accumulated 57.6 percent of their passing yards after the catch (third-most in the NFL) — another dangerous aspect of Brown’s game. He would be a threat at every level for Justin Herbert — opening the offense up like it was early in the QB’s career — and give the front office the freedom to offload Johnston. It doesn’t hurt that the Chargers currently have the third-most salary cap space in the league, giving them the leeway to pick up the veteran receiver’s sizeable salary.”
Chargers Trying to Unlock Herbert’s Potential
The Chargers seem to have given quarterback Herbert all the money in the world and not gotten back a great return on investment.
Herbert signed a 5-year, $262.5 million contract before the 2023 season, and, at just 27 years old, he’s in line for another massive payday in a few years.
One thing Herbert has never given the Chargers in 6 seasons? A playoff win. After getting blown out by the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card Round following the 2025 season, he’s 0-3 for his career, including blowing a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 AFC Wild Card Round.
Brown Could Be Player Who Helps Herbert Shine
The key to getting over the hump for Herbert might be getting their franchise quarterback an elite wide receiver for the first time in his career. One fix, according to Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, might be pulling off a blockbuster trade for Brown.
“If the Bolts can fix the offensive line (and the return of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater at tackle should do most of that fixing), this is a team well-positioned to be aggressive adding talent in 2026 to an already formidable roster,” Davenport wrote. “It’s also a team that could have a significant need at wide receiver. The Chargers won’t have to worry about a bag for youngster Ladd McConkey until 2027 (at least). But Keenan Allen is nearing the end of the line. Quentin Johnston started this campaign red-hot but wasn’t that big a factor in the season’s second half. Brown’s a sizable, proven upgrade at a position of need.”