A.J. Brown Trade Update Emerges After Dallas Goedert Decision

However, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Eagles may have hit the brakes on a prospective trade. 

Speaking on 'Good Morning Football', Rapoport explained that although Brown had come close to leaving Philadelphia last week, the Eagles front office is reconsidering its options.

“I would say that at various times over the last three days it looked like one thing was definitely going to happen and then it was clear something else was going to happen. There were various points where I really firmly believed A.J. Brown was going to be traded.”

Rapoport confirmed that the Los Angeles Rams have pulled out of talks for Brown, despite being among the most prominent teams in contention for the ex-Ole Miss receiver. 

“Originally, there were four teams that were interested that Brown would really like to go to. The Rams were one. They looked into it deeply and ultimately decided it was not for them. They are essentially, as far as I can tell, out on this situation.”

Meanwhile, the New England Patriots remain a top contender for Brown’s signature.

“The New England Patriots – who have had consistent dialogue with the Eagles and A.J. Brown – they are still in it,” explained Rapaport.

But a key issue stands in the way of a quick resolution: Dallas Goedert’s one-year contract extension. 

Goedert’s new deal means that the Eagles will not need to replace the 31-year-old tight end. If Goedert had left, Brown may have been leveraged in negotiations with interested teams to obtain picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

According to Rapoport, keeping Brown until June 1 is also a cost-saving measure.

“Part of the problem here, and the reason the cap number was such a big thing: If the Eagles traded A.J. Brown now, $40 million gets accelerated into their cap in dead money. If they do it after June 1, it’s just $20 million. That’s $20 million less. That is a lot of money. 

“So actually… trading him after June 1 makes sense.” 

Rapoport also confirmed that as the upcoming NFL draft is scheduled to take place in April, any trade involving Brown in June 2026 would see the Eagles receive picks for the 2027 draft. 

“What that means is it wouldn’t be 2026 draft picks if he was traded, it would be 2027. Meaning the cap hit would be less. It would also mean that we might be talking about A.J. Brown into June.”

Attention now turns to the draft, where the Eagles hold one first-round pick at 23.