If the Philadelphia Eagles are seriously considering trading star wide receiver A.J. Brown, they would be wise to do so in 2026.
Brown has been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason and has frequently been linked to the New England Patriots, who could use a true No. 1 WR to pair with quarterback Drake Maye. On the latest episode of Tom E. Curran’s Patriots Talk Podcast, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explained why it would behoove the Eagles to pull the trigger on a Brown deal before next year.
“I had somebody who is in position to have a reason to understand the dynamics of the Eagles’ salary cap into the future, and this person early in free agency insisted the Eagles have to trade A.J. Brown before next year,” Florio said. “That if they make the move next year, it’s going to wreak havoc on their salary cap in light of their other commitments and cap charges and whatnot.”
If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they would take on a dead cap hit of more than $40 million in 2026. If they move him after June 1, the dead money incurred would drop below $20 million for 2026.
Florio adds that the Patriots are frontrunners to trade for Brown after June 1, with people around the NFL “saying a trade will happen.” The Los Angeles Rams were involved in the Brown sweepstakes, but that no longer appears to be the case.
“If a trade happens, when a trade happens — and people around the league are saying a trade will happen — it’ll happen on or after June 2, with A.J. Brown most likely being traded to the New England Patriots. Because the two primary contenders were the Patriots and the Rams, and my understanding is the Rams tapped out. Once they got a closer look at the medicals, they didn’t do a physical. …
“The question is whether there’s someone else who decides, ‘We’re going to do this,’ especially after the draft. You go through the draft process, you may decide, ‘We didn’t get the guy we wanted, we still have a need here. Let’s jump into this A.J. Brown pursuit.”
Also in the episode:
- Power ranking the AFC.
- Three storylines to watch ahead of the NFL Owners’ Meetings.
- How owners can sell players on an 18-game season.
