“Hello, A.J. … what’s happening?”
Star wide receiver A.J. Brown remains a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Nonetheless, Brown’s four-year stint with the Eagles (2022-25) has come against the backdrop of the three-time Pro Bowler publicly complaining about his role in the team’s offense and rampant speculation about his relationship (or lack thereof) with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Just last season, Brown told fans to “get rid” of him if they have him on their fantasy football team and that playing “Madden NFL 26″ is the only way to find “highlights” of him. Meanwhile, former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson said in November of last season that he knew “something else” was “going on” between Brown and Hurts.
Earlier this week, reports circulated that the Eagles were discussing a potential Brown trade with multiple teams.
Here’s what’s going on with Brown and an explainer on the situation.
[Amid the Continuing Eagles-A.J. Brown Trade Speculation, No One Is Closing the Door]
What were the Patriots’ latest comments on Brown?
The New England Patriots have been the team most linked to Brown as trade rumors surrounding him have picked up steam in recent weeks. Patriots director of player personnel Eliot Wolf, who serves as the team’s de facto general manager, didn’t do much to quell those rumors when he was asked about the team pursuing a trade for Brown in his pre-draft press conference.
“As far as players on other teams, again, going to keep the door open to anything that we think may improve our roster — whether it’s with a player you mentioned or other players,” Wolf said.
Wolf’s comment came a couple of weeks after Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel answered questions about Brown head-on.
“We’re gonna try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster, through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition,” Mike Vrabel told reporters when asked about the Patriots possibly trading for Brown at the NFL owners meeting. “So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we’re going to try to do.”
Vrabel, who coached Brown for three seasons with the Tennessee Titans (2019-21), also expressed confidence that he could handle coaching Brown if they were reunited.
“We understand that in professional sports, players are talented and have some sort of ego to them,” Vrabel told reporters. “And there’s a balance. They have to have that edge. As a coaching staff — whatever that is — you have to balance that edge.
“Everyone wants to excel. What receiver doesn’t want to catch the ball?”
The Patriots have a pretty clear need for a wide receiver this offseason. While they signed former Green Bay Packers standout Romeo Doubs, they released their leading receiver from this past season (Stefon Diggs) as they continue to look to improve the offense around quarterback Drake Maye.
What do teams around the league think will happen with Brown?
As trade talks surrounding Brown haven’t subsided, there seems to be a growing belief that the star wide receiver will eventually get moved. In fact, executives around the league think that the New England Patriots will land Brown after June 1, The Athletic reported.
What were the Eagles’ latest comments on Brown?
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman continued to downplay any possibility that Brown could be traded when he met with Philadelphia reporters at the NFL’s annual meeting.
“I understand that there’s interest in the A.J. Brown story. I, unfortunately, don’t have a home under a rock,” Roseman said, via ESPN. “But my answer to any question on A.J. Brown is 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. But I understand the interest. I put on the TV and I see that there’s interest, but my answer is A.J. Brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.”
The comment is similar to one Roseman made at the start of the season, when he told reporters in January that it’s “hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J. is a great player.” Still, trade speculation surrounding the receiver has persisted following some of his public frustration last season.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, meanwhile, sidestepped a question about whether Philadelphia wide receiver DeVonta Smith can be a bona fide No. 1.
“Let’s keep A.J. in there. Both those players are phenomenal players that contributed to a lot of wins over the past four years here,” the Eagles coach said. “It’s not like we have a 1a and 1b. We have two ones there.”
Who’s interested in trading for Brown?
Along with the Patriots, the Los Angeles Rams also discussed a trade for Brown during the opening week of NFL free agency, according to The Athletic. Brown has also given the Eagles a list of preferred destinations for a potential trade, which includes the Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, Sports Illustrated reported.
What are the Eagles asking for in a potential Brown trade?
At least one first-round pick and a top-100 draft pick in any trade for Brown, according to Sports Illustrated.
What is Brown’s current contract?
Brown, who will be 29 at the start of the 2026 season, signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the Eagles in April 2024, a contract that includes $84 million guaranteed and one that doesn’t begin until 2027.
Why is a Brown trade more likely after June 1?
If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they would incur a $43 million dead cap hit, whereas if they trade the receiver after June 1, the dead cap hit would be just $16.4 million.
Beginning on June 1 of every NFL year, teams can spread out a dead cap hit for a player in a trade or release over two years, whereas it directly impacts their payroll for the upcoming season if a player is released before June 1.
What have the Eagles done this offseason?
On Mar. 7, Philadelphia extended defensive tackle Jordan Davis to a three-year, $78 million deal. On the free-agent front, the Eagles have signed cornerback and 2022 Pro Bowler Riq Woolen (one-year, $12 million deal) and linebacker Arnold Ebiketie (one-year, $7.3 million deal), among other deals.
The Eagles also traded for wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks in April from the Packers after signing Hollywood Brown in March.
How well did Brown play last season?
Coming off the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX triumph, Brown totaled 78 receptions for 1,003 yards (career-low 12.9 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns through 15 regular-season games in 2025. It marked the sixth time that Brown reached 1,000 receiving yards in a single season in his seven-year NFL career (2019-25).
At the same time, Brown had four games where he logged two or fewer receptions, and he had just three receptions on seven targets in Philadelphia’s NFC wild-card round loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers.
