It might have been the worst-kept secret in the league, but A.J. Brown not continuing with the Philadelphia Eagles felt like an inevitable development given the way things had been progressing over the last few seasons.
Despite winning a Super Bowl, the unhappiness was clear with the superstar wide receiver. After making public complaints against the organization and the state of the offense, he was finally granted his wish. But he might not have been the only member of the roster who was looking forward to the trade.
Why the Eagles Are Looking for a New Beginning After the A.J. Brown Trade
Jordan Mailata, who’s been with the team his whole career and earned an All-Pro selection in 2024, spoke to Zach Berman of The Athletic, and the relief was palpable from the Super Bowl champion.
“Yes, we can move on now. I think most of us that have been here the last six weeks, we have moved on, just from, we have enough to worry about. Getting over last year, and then coming in here and learning a new scheme and new concepts, like we had to press on.”
Going a step further, he added, “So that’s what we were doing. I think this is more of a — it sounds terrible — but like, thank God it’s over. It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out? We didn’t really know, and that really wasn’t our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense.”
Now, after the move has been finalized, he believes the Eagles as a whole can focus on the upcoming season with a new group. “But we got to keep these wheels moving, we got new guys coming in, we got rookies coming in again, we got to build that culture every year.”
Joining the roster in 2022, Brown had been wildly productive for the Eagles. For four consecutive seasons, he tallied over 1,000 receiving yards each year while totaling 32 touchdowns through the air, including a minimum of seven every year.
Over the last three years, those numbers have translated to two top-10 finishes and No. 21 in 2025 on PFSN’s WR Impact. Still, the off-the-field issues were becoming insurmountable for the franchise.
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From reading a book on the sidelines during the playoffs to his constant criticism of the state of the offense, Brown took no prisoners in his comments. As a result, a move felt inevitable, particularly after the Eagles invested a ton of resources at the wide receiver position this summer.
From drafting Makai Lemon to bringing in Dontayvion Wicks and signing Hollywood Brown, the depth of the receiving group went through a complete overhaul. Finally, after the June 1 threshold, Brown became a member of the Patriots.
In exchange, New England sent a fifth-round pick in 2027 and a first-round pick in 2028 to Philadelphia, which is trying to get back into championship contention in a loaded NFC. Some in the locker room, though, believe the move could be a blessing for the team.
Read More: ‘We Just Started Pressing’: A.J. Brown Reveals Why Eagles Lost ‘Happiness’ After Winning Super Bowl‘
It remains to be seen how both parties fare with the new outlook, but it has breathed new life into the Patriots, who were coming off a brutal offseason, as well as the Eagles, who needed a reset after last season’s failure.
