A.J. Brown’s contract with the Philadelphia Eagles came on the back of a massive draft night trade last offseason. Now that we are 12 months into the contract, what were the overall terms, what is Brown’s salary cap impact in 2023, and what options do the Eagles have with Brown’s contract in the coming years?
A.J. Brown’s Contract Details
Following his arrival in Philadelphia, Brown signed a four-year contract extension worth $100 million. Brown received a $23.234 million signing bonus, which was part of $39.999 million in full guarantees and $57.220 million in total guarantees. The four years of the extension begin in 2023 and run through 2026. There is also a void year in the deal for 2027 to spread the cap numbers across an extra year.
In addition to Brown’s signing bonus in 2022, there is a fully guaranteed option bonus worth $10.26 million. That will be paid during the 2023 offseason and was fully guaranteed at signing. A further $16.471 million in 2024 base salary will become guaranteed if Brown is on the Eagles’ roster on Mar. 17, 2023.
Heading into 2023, Brown is set to receive $12.096 million in cash, but his cap number for the season is just $8.319 million. That cap number is the 38th-highest for a WR in the upcoming season as things stand on Feb. 7. Here is how that 2023 salary cap number breaks down for Brown.
- Salary: $1.080 million
- Signing Bonus (Prorated): $4.647 million
- Option Bonus (Prorated): $2.053 million
- Workout Bonus: $240,000
- Roster Bonus: $298,894
- 2023 Cap Number: $8.319 million
That cap number may seem low for a player who signed a four-year deal worth $100 million. That is because the Eagles start to feel the impact of Brown’s contract in the 2024 season. His cap number will climb to $27.7 million in 2024, $22.7 million in 2025, and $37.7 million in 2026. On top of that, if Brown’s contract voids in 2027, he will leave behind $2.053 million in dead money.
What Options Do the Eagles Have With Brown’s Contract?
With those cap numbers going through the roof in 2024 and beyond, the Eagles may have to make some tough decisions with Brown’s deal. Right now, it seems far-fetched the Eagles would consider releasing Brown, but it’s worth looking at the dead money numbers if they do. Here are Brown’s cap numbers and dead money amounts if the Eagles move on from him.
- 2024 Cap Number: $27.7 million
2024 Dead Money (pre-June 1): $25.932 million
2024 Dead Money (post-June 1): $10.479 million - 2025 Cap Number: $22.7 million
2025 Dead Money (pre-June 1): $15.453 million
2025 Dead Money (post-June 1): $6.7 million - 2026 Cap Number: $37.7 million
2026 Dead Money (pre-June 1): $8.753 million
2026 Dead Money (post-June 1): $6.7 million
Realistically, the Eagles’ first time to move on from Brown and save cap space would come in 2025. In that year, they can save $7.247 million in cap space by releasing him. However, that may shift if the Eagles look to reduce Brown’s cap number in 2024.
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As it stands, the WR will count for more than 10% of the cap that season. Therefore, the Eagles could convert some of his base salary to a signing bonus. That would then impact the cap savings if they were to consider releasing Brown ahead of the 2025 or 2026 seasons.
Brown’s Net Worth
According to current estimates, Brown’s net worth sits in the region of $10 million. As a second-round pick, Brown’s first contract in the NFL was worth $5.652 million in total. However, when he signed the contract with the Eagles, he received $24.220 million in cash for the 2022 season. That has taken Brown’s career earnings so far to $28.607 million.
If Brown plays out the remainder of his Eagles contract, he will have career earnings of $108.703 million. In the 2023 season, Brown is set to take home $12.096 million in cash. That will increase his career earnings to over $40 million.