The Philadelphia Eagles just signed DeVonta Smith to a massive extension, leading some to believe that the team could trade superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown in a corresponding move. After all, teams rarely hand out big money to a quarterback and two wide receivers, and the trio of Smith, Brown, and quarterback Jalen Hurts all rank among the highest-paid at their respective positions. On Thursday, A.J. Brown only added fuel to that fire with some interesting activity on Twitter and Instagram.
While these types of speculations are always fun, A.J. Brown quickly took to Twitter to clarify that he was not hinting at a trade or Brady’s return. Rather, the wide receiver was simply trying to pay tribute to his “favorite player ever.”
A.J. Brown Clarifies Controversial Twitter Post, Tom Brady Connection
To the dismay of Patriots fans, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. While Brown has expressed frustration with his current team both in interviews and on Twitter, the wide receiver’s current contract ensures that he’ll be with the Eagles for at least one more season. According to OverTheCap, Philadelphia would lose over $9 million in cap space to trade him before June 1st and only save $5.65 million if they wait until after June 1st to get a deal done. Seeing as the Eagles are all-in on their current window, they have no reason to trade the superstar wideout.
If a trade is going to happen, it’ll probably be in 2025. New year, A.J. Brown carries a $26.5 million cap hit and the Eagles can save upwards of $19 million with a trade. As for Tom Brady, if he’s going to come back, it would probably be in the middle of the season if a contender loses their starting quarterback for an extended period of time.
More must-reads: