A disappointing season, where their off-the-field shenanigans were a bigger story than their play on the gridiron, ended with a brutal loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round for the Philadelphia Eagles.
As a result, there is a ton of doubt about whether their most unpredictable element, A.J. Brown, will return to the squad next season. One analyst believes the organization would be better off trading him for another former All-Pro wide receiver.
Unusual Trade Idea for A.J. Brown to Help the Eagles
It was a shocking fall from grace for the Philadelphia Eagles this season. After a dominant regular season culminating in a Super Bowl 59 victory, the expectation was that they could replicate their success.
Unfortunately, those plans did not pan out for the group. Now, there is a very real possibility that they trade the biggest culprit for those shenanigans.
Since coming to the Eagles, Brown has enjoyed some of his productive seasons as a wide receiver. However, in the last two years in particular, even with a Super Bowl victory, it hasn’t looked like a happy marriage between the two.
Public comments, general disposition, and even reading a book on the sidelines, the cycle was nearly constant about his displeasure with the team. As a result, he fell from third to 21st on PFSN’s WR Impact.
The lack of chemistry certainly hurt the offense, as they were among the five worst teams in the percentage of possessions that ended in 3-and-outs.
A revitalized squad will try to rectify that situation in 2026, and general manager Howie Roseman has never been shy of making instantaneous moves to help the team.
With the issues stemming from Brown affecting the entire team, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he isn’t on the team next season, something head coach Nick Sirianni alluded to ahead of the NFL Combine.
According to Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN, though, the pathway for a potential Brown trade doesn’t necessarily require a massive haul of draft picks.
Instead, they believe a wide receiver swap to get Jalen Hurts a different wideout could help fix a lot of the issues in Philadelphia. In particular, their eyes are on a former All-Pro selection, Courtland Sutton, who has become the linchpin of the Denver Broncos’ offense.
“Some around the league believe Roseman could target a veteran receiver as part of any trade package — say, if New Orleans can’t reach a deal with Chris Olave in New Orleans, or if Denver wants to entertain a Brown-Courtland Sutton swap.”
Signed to a four-year, $92 million deal, he would certainly save some cost for an already expensive Eagles roster.
But with the production of the two wide receivers remaining relatively the same in the last two years (2,082 yards and 14 touchdowns for Brown vs. 2,096 yards and 15 touchdowns for Sutton), the team has to be hoping that better chemistry and vibes in the locker room can fix some of their issues.
