Why Eagles have reportedly made this huge A.J. Brown decision ahead of trade deadline

As recently as last week, some noteworthy members of the NFL community believed that there was a chance the Philadelphia Eagles and unsettled wide receiver A.J. Brown could part ways before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. 

It appears such a transaction won't occur barring a shocking development over the next couple of weeks. 

Why Eagles won't deal A.J. Brown before trade deadline

For an article published on Tuesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed that "there are a few reasons why the Eagles wouldn’t deal Brown." 

For starters, the reigning Super Bowl champions are a win-now team with Brown, fellow receiver DeVonta Smith, quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and other noteworthy star players on the roster. While Brown presumably could force Philadelphia's hand by causing massive headaches for the club before Nov. 4, there's no indication he plans to take such a route. 

In early October, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Brown and Smith wanted "more touchdowns" amid their frustrations with their roles in the Philadelphia offense. During the Eagles' 28-22 win at the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday, those two playmakers tallied a combined 13 receptions for 304 yards and three touchdowns. 

Money is also impacting the Eagles' handling of A.J. Brown

While history suggests the situation involving the Eagles and Brown will likely end in divorce, Breer noted that the 28-year-old's contract is a significant reason such a breakup won't occur during the ongoing season. 

"At this point, Brown’s dead money total is around $43.5M," Breer added. "If he’s traded, all that money would accelerate onto the team’s 2026 cap, which would be around 15% of next year’s projected cap."

It was less than a year ago when alleged issues between Brown and Hurts threatened to torpedo Philadelphia's championship hopes. The two worked things out enough that they were able to help the Eagles notch a dominant Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs in February. 

For now, Brown and Co. will focus on trying to earn some revenge when the 5-2 Eagles host the 2-5 New York Giants this coming Sunday. Philadelphia suffered a 34-17 loss to Big Blue at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 9.