Could Eagles move on from A.J. Brown before trade deadline?

Even before the Philadelphia Eagles fell to 4-1 on the season via Sunday's 21-17 home loss to the Denver Broncos, some wondered if the Eagles could part ways with unsettled wide receiver A.J. Brown before the trade deadline arrives on Nov. 4.

For a piece published on Sunday night, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano suggested outsiders shouldn't expect the reigning Super Bowl champions and Brown to go through a public divorce this fall. 

Are the Eagles considering trading A.J. Brown before deadline?

"The Eagles aren't trading Brown, and from what I understand, he doesn't want them to trade him," Graziano wrote. "This is a team that won the Super Bowl eight months ago and knows how to weather early-season issues and come out on top. It might feel a little rough right now, but any time there has been a flicker of discontent around Brown, he has taken ownership of his frustrations and made it clear, internally and externally, that he's all about whatever it takes to help the team win."

Brown's relationship with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has generated headlines on numerous occasions since Brown seemed to criticize Hurts in December 2024. Not long after the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX in February of this year, Brown admitted that the two "alphas who want to be the best and demand greatness from each other and everyone around us" dealt with "issues" leading up to the club's championship victory.

More recently, Brown raised eyebrows with a cryptic social media post that appeared to be directed at Hurts and the Eagles in late September. This past Saturday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that both Brown and fellow Philadelphia receiver DeVonta Smith were frustrated regarding their roles in the team's offense. 

Smith caught eight passes for 114 yards against Denver, while Brown tallied five receptions for 43 yards on eight targets. According to ESPN stats, Brown entered Monday tied for 52nd in the league with 19 receptions and 58th with 194 receiving yards on the season. He thus far has recorded just one touchdown catch. 

It's not all bad for Eagles' offense? 

The Eagles' offense ended the weekend ranked 31st in the league with an average of 161.8 passing yards per contest. That said, The Athletic's Mike Sando noted that "the Eagles are averaging more offensive points per game (22.4), more offensive touchdowns per game (2.8) and have a better record (4-1) than through five games during the 2024 championship season." 

Meanwhile, Graziano believes that Philadelphia suffering a loss could "help convince Eagles coaches that something needs to change before this season starts looking more like their 2023 collapse than their 2024 triumph." One wonders if fans will see those changes when the Eagles play at the 1-4 New York Giants on Thursday night. 

As of Monday morning, ESPN BET had the Eagles as 7.5-point road favorites for that matchup.