NFL executive shares big revelation about Eagles, A.J. Brown trade rumors

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was the subject of some trade rumors before he somewhat curiously said he couldn't "recall" having any type of meeting with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley regarding the recent struggles of the Philadelphia offense. 

On Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared that the Brown-Eagles relationship is "definitely worth keeping an eye on" ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. 

Do other teams think Eagles could trade A.J. Brown this fall?

"Other teams are monitoring the situation," Breer wrote. "One high-end executive for an AFC contender texted that he anticipates Brown’s name coming up in trade talks before the deadline, though it hasn’t happened yet: 'His production is down, and the offense/quarterback are what they are. He doesn’t seem happy.'"

Chatter about the Eagles possibly moving on from Brown has hovered over the franchise ever since he seemed to criticize Hurts after a game in December 2024. Brown was later spotted reading a book during Philadelphia's wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers, and he admitted following the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX victory that he and Hurts had dealt with "issues." 

More recently, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Oct. 4 that Brown and fellow Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith wanted "more touchdowns" amid their frustrations with their roles in the offense. That was before Hurts tossed a costly red-zone interception when Brown appeared to be open for a potential touchdown in the fourth quarter of Philadelphia's 34-17 defeat at the New York Giants that dropped the Eagles to 4-2 this past Thursday. 

Per ESPN stats, Brown began Monday tied for 36th in the league with 25 receptions and 45th with 274 receiving yards on the campaign. He tallied just one touchdown catch over Philadelphia's first six games.

Are Eagles prepared to keep A.J. Brown for entire 2025 season?

"To be clear, every indication I’ve gotten from Philly is that they view this as part of the deal with their mercurial receiver," Breer added. "He’s always been different, and how that manifests itself can be a little unpredictable. ...Last year, there was the weird situation with Brown reading a book on the sideline (it was 'Inner Excellence' for those wondering) during the team’s wild-card playoff win over the Packers. That sparked conversation, but did little to knock the red-hot Eagles off-kilter. And there’s the thought that if they could handle that in January, they can handle this in October."

For now, Brown is on track to be in the Philadelphia lineup when the Eagles play at the Minnesota Vikings (3-2) on Oct. 19. That said, it remains to be seen if Philadelphia will take calls about Brown's availability if he makes it known that he would be willing to embrace a fresh start elsewhere.