Most Likely Resolutions to the A.J. Brown, Eagles Trade Saga

We have some breaking news for you: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown might get traded.

That possibility alone is enough to shake up the NFL landscape.

Last year, Brown caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games—the fourth time in as many seasons that he topped 1,000 yards in the City of Brotherly Love.

However, the 28-year-old also made it clear later in the 2025 season that he was unhappy in Philly.

The Eagles have since fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, and general manager Howie Roseman has continually tried to tamp down speculation that Brown could be dealt. But when a proven No. 1 wideout in his prime potentially becomes available, folks are going to talk about it.

Brown isn't going to come cheaply. He has a three-year, $96 million extension kicking in next year and it would probably take a first-round pick (if not more) to acquire. He's also likely to have zero interest in playing for a team that isn't a Super Bowl contender.

If Brown is available, multiple teams will line up to pursue him. There are several ways this situation could play out and several potential landing spots—some more likely than others.

Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The general consensus seems to be that a Brown trade is a fait accompli. That it's only a matter of time until he is dealt to another team, whether it's during the draft or after June 1 when the dead cap hit for a deal drops from $43.5 million in 2026 to under $17 million.

But Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has insisted to date that Brown remains an Eagle, and despite the team's recent acquisition of wideout Dontayvion Wicks, Roseman told reporters that nothing has changed in that regard.

"What do you think the odds are that I'm answering this question any different than I answered it anywhere else?" Roseman said. "Like really, do you think that's 50 percent? Do you think it's 75 percent? A.J. Brown's an Eagle."

We know that Brown's relationship with the Eagles is—let's go with frayed. We know that multiple teams have at least kicked the tires on acquiring the eighth-year veteran.

What we don't know is what those teams have offered in a potential trade. Or whether that offer is anywhere close to what Roseman believes Brown's value is. The Eagles are a team with Super Bowl aspirations in 2026, and it's not like replacing a player of Brown's caliber is an easy thing to do.

For every frayed relationship and/or trade request that has resulted in an actual deal in recent years, there has been one where player and team mended fences and all the hullabaloo turned out to be full of sound and fury.

In other words, sometimes these sagas end up signifying nothing.

It may seem unlikely as things stand, but a reconciliation can't be ruled out until Brown's bags are packed.

Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

As mentioned, there have been multiple reports of teams reaching out to the Eagles about A.J. Brown's availability. Somewhat surprisingly, one of those teams was the Los Angeles Rams.

In fact, ESPN's Adam Schefter told 97.5 The Fanatic (h/t The Rams Wire) that at one point he believed the deal was going to get done:

"The way I do my job is I weigh in when there are things that matter and when there's news. There have been plenty of trade talks that have gone on that I've known about. Let's put it this way, how about this? The Eagles and Rams were further along at one point than people realized. Was that out there? Was that out there? Was Dianna (Russini) on that? Were other people on that? I don't know, but it was and at one point, I remember thinking, 'Boy, there's a chance it's gonna get done with the Rams.' And I was waiting to report it, and it didn't get done."

Adding Brown to a passing game that already includes Puka Nacua and Davante Adams could give the Rams a terrifying offense. We know L.A. general manager Les Snead isn't averse to dealing high draft picks for veteran players.

And if the Eagles were to trade Brown before June 1, the Rams have the 13th pick this year—about as good as compensation is going to get from teams he would be amenable to playing for.

The biggest sticking point here may well be that the Rams are in the NFC. Watching Brown catch passes against the Eagles regularly could get old quickly.

Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

The pressure in Baltimore this year is as high as it has been in a long time. After missing the playoffs in 2025, longtime head coach John Harbaugh was shown the door. General manager Eric DeCosta remains, but the edict this season is clear: make a deep playoff run or else.

Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, while there hasn't been a lot of smoke surrounding the Ravens taking a run at Brown, that doesn't mean the team wouldn't do it:

"There's been little buzz over the last couple of weeks that the Ravens are in the Brown sweepstakes, and it's widely believed that he'll either end up in New England or remain with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it wouldn't be the first time the Ravens came out of nowhere to land a star player. Baltimore would benefit from adding a big and physical receiver, and DeCosta has done plenty of trades with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman."

We'll get to the Patriots shortly.

Like the Rams, the Ravens have a top-15 pick this year if Roseman is willing to rip the dead cap Band-Aid off with one pull this year. The Ravens could certainly use the help at wide receiver—outside of Zay Flowers, their second-leading pass-catcher last year (tight end Mark Andrews) had 422 receiving yards.

DeCosta already tried taking a big swing in a trade with the Maxx Crosby deal that fell apart at the last minute. Given the temperature of the seat he's on, it's not that difficult to imagine him taking another.

Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

The Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of things going for them in 2026. The team has a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert and a top-five defense. The Bolts also won 11 games last year and made the playoffs.

What the Chargers do not have, however, is a reliable X receiver. Quentin Johnston has flashed at times, but the 2023 first-round pick has been inconsistent.

As Matt Okada noted for NFL.com, that makes taking a run at A.J. Brown more than worth it:

"Brown is a solid fit for new OC Mike McDaniel's offense, which has historically thrived on in-breaking routes. Brown logged the sixth-most receiving yards over expected on such routes last season, per NGS. Also, under McDaniel in 2025, the Dolphins accumulated 57.6 percent of their passing yards after the catch (third-most in the NFL)—another dangerous aspect of Brown's game. He would be a threat at every level for Justin Herbert—opening the offense up like it was early in the QB's career."

The cap space to take on Brown's salary isn't an issue for the Chargers, as they are sitting on $48.7 million in cap space. In addition to draft pick compensation, they could include Johnston in a trade. And the Bolts are a team close enough to making a Super Bowl to make mortgaging the future for a run in the present worth it.

Even so, trades that make this much sense on paper often fail to materialize. That would leave the team most observers view as the front‑runner for Brown's services.

New England Patriots

AP Photo/Mark Stockwell

The New England Patriots are the defending AFC champions. As they try to take that final step and win the franchise's seventh Super Bowl, one of their primary needs is overhauling the wideout corps.

Stefon Diggs is gone. The Patriots signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million deal in free agency, but they still lack a true No. 1 receiver.

Given all that, no team in the league has been linked more often to a potential A.J. Brown trade than the Patriots.

The Patriots and Eagles have reportedly discussed a deal, and when asked specifically about Brown by reporters, New England executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf made it clear the door for such a move remains open.

"As far as players on other teams, again gonna keep the door open to anything that we think may improve our roster," Wolf said. "Whether that's with the player you mentioned or other players."

Again, it's possible the Eagles will slow-play a Brown trade so they can spread out the sizable dead cap hit that will come with the deal, waiting until 2027 to receive compensation. But the Patriots could give the Eagles some help right now as well if they included fourth-year wideout Kayshon Boutte in the move.

Whether it's the penultimate pick in Round 1 this year or a selection in a similar range next year, Brown will do more for New England's chances of winning in 2026 than a rookie or a future draft pick who has yet to join the roster.

Add in Brown's familiarity with—and apparent respect for—New England head coach Mike Vrabel, and you have the most likely conclusion to the A.J. Brown saga.

It's just a matter of when it happens.