The Philadelphia Eagles pulled off one of the biggest trades of the offseason earlier this month. Philadelphia sent A.J. Brown packing, trading him to New England in exchange for multiple draft picks. It was one of the least surprising trades in recent memory as it was public knowledge for months before happening.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler dove deep on some of the biggest moves from the 2026 offseason in his latest article. He shared one surprising opinion from an AFC executive about the Brown trade.
The executive in question does not believe that the Eagles were big winners in the trade. They criticized the move for not making Philadelphia any better ahead of the 2026 season.
“I get why they did it, and they got the best return they could, but it's hard to see where this trade makes them better,” an AFC executive said.
Philadelphia did land a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for Brown. That is quite the return for an aging player with a massive contract. But still, it is unquestionable that losing Brown should hurt the Eagles during the 2026 season.
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Brown is still one of the better wide receivers in the NFL, even heading into his age 29 season. He logged 78 receptions for 1,003 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2025 despite inconsistent usage.
“He changes the math on the field,” an NFL coordinator said of Brown. “Defenses have to account for him, often with more than one body. He can still get yards after catch, and he wins 50-50 balls. That's something New England's offense didn't have last year.”
The Eagles will be forced to lean on DeVonta Smith, rookie Makai Lemon, and newcomer Dontayvion Wicks at wide receiver this fall.
It will be fascinating to see how much, if at all, the Eagles miss Brown this season.
The Philadelphia Eagles pulled off one of the biggest trades of the offseason earlier this month. Philadelphia sent A. J. Brown packing, trading him to New England in exchange for multiple draft picks. It was one of the least surprising trades in recent memory as it was public knowledge for months before happening.