In a league driven by quarterback play, elite talent on the perimeter is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. That’s what makes even entertaining the idea of trading A.J. Brown not only misguided but flat-out irresponsible for a team like the Philadelphia Eagles.
Let’s start with the cap reality. Trading Brown before June 1 would saddle the Eagles with a brutal dead cap hit of nearly $32 million. That’s not just a tough pill to swallow it’s organizational malpractice when you’re trying to win now. This isn’t a rebuilding team scraping together cap room to chase future success. The Eagles are a perennial Super Bowl contender. You don’t offload cornerstone players in their prime and eat massive financial penalties unless you’re waving the white flag on the season and with Jalen Hurts under center and Saquon Barkley in the backfield, is the answer really that not self-evident?
But even beyond the economics, there’s the fundamental football logic or lack thereof in trading A.J. Brown.
Proof of Concept
This is a top-20 player in the NFL. Since arriving in Philadelphia, Brown has done nothing but elevate the offense, terrify defensive coordinators, and open up opportunities for everyone else on the field. Since he and Jalen Hurts joined forces, the Eagles have been to two Super Bowls in three seasons. have won one and have won 45 games. That’s not a coincidence, that’s spectacular. It’s also proof of concept.
Let’s be real: draft picks are the most overrated currency in the NFL. Everyone loves the idea of upside. But the truth is less than 30% of drafted players even make it onto an NFL roster, and the odds of landing an All-Pro or even Pro Bowl-level player from a single first-round pick are less. There are no guarantees. It’s a dart throw at best. No kidding flipping a coin would increase your upside chances significantly. The Eagles don’t need hope. They need production and they already have it in Brown.
The reality is there isn’t a major threat of Brown leaving the Eagles any time soon. The 27-year-old signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the franchise in 2024. That deal was tacked on to the end of his previous contract with the Eagles, possibly keeping Brown in Philadelphia through the 2029 NFL season. So trading him before June 1st would result in a dead salary cap hit of around $31.6 million for 2025, per Spotrac. If they traded him after June 1, the Eagles would have around $10.8 million in dead cap space from Brown in 2025 and around $20.8 million in dead cap space in 2026, also per Spotrac.
So what exactly would you be trading for? A “crap shoot” to replace a “lock.” A player with zero NFL snaps to replace one with over 3,000 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in three years in midnight/kelly green. A.J. Brown isn’t just a stat sheet warrior he’s a tone-setter. He plays angry. He plays physical. He plays like a Philly guy. You don’t move on from that just because things got a little bumpy or the offense had a down month. Added to that is the fact that Brown only averaged 5 receptions per game last year and those uncompelling numbers were caused by an intentional shift in the offensive philosophy. That philosophy might not stay the course should something happen to Saquon Barkley, whose coming off a year with an inordinate amount of touches, 360, including playoffs that totaled 2,504 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns.
He has tallied 1,000-plus receiving yards in five of his six pro seasons, including 67 receptions for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games last season with the Birds and when he and quarterback Jalen Hurts were on the field at the same time the Birds were 14-0. That was no accident.
Minutemen Way Late to This Party
And all of this talk of Brown being traded to the Patriots? if the Pats wanted Brown that badly they wouldn’t have taken N’Keal Harry 19 picks before Brown went to the Titans in the second round of the draft back in 2019.
But here’s the only question you need to ask: Does trading A.J. Brown make your team better, or worse? Because at the end of the day, that’s the only question that matters and the answer is obvious. Trading Brown strips you of your identity, weakens your quarterback, and gives up a known alpha for a shot in the dark.
Teams spend years trying to find a player like A.J. Brown. The Eagles have him. If you trade him, you’re not reloading you’re resetting. And in the short championship window this team is in, that would be a colossal mistake.
Don’t overthink it Howie. Keep your dogs. Keep your difference-makers. Keep your top 20 player and keep your Super Bowl window wide open. Any questions?
