Are Eagles changing their stance on potential A.J. Brown trade?

Even before the Philadelphia Eagles' season came to an end with a 23-19 wild-card playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, some assumed it was a matter of when and not if the Eagles would trade Brown and eliminate what's become a constant headache for the organization.

For an ESPN piece published on Thursday, four writers proposed deals that would send Brown to different teams for draft-pick compensation. ESPN Eagles reporter Tim McManus suggested that Philadelphia isn't as ready to ship Brown out of town as some think.

Are Eagles not settled on trading A.J. Brown this offseason? 

"'Why would I want to make these teams better and mine worse?' That has essentially been [Howie] Roseman's public stance on the situation," McManus said while explaining why he believes the Eagles would reject the proposed trade offers for Brown. "Brown is the type of player you try to acquire, not get rid of -- and it makes total sense. So if I'm the Eagles here, I'm going to do everything in my power to make the situation work -- and so long as the hope outweighs the doubt, I'm rejecting all four proposals." 

It has felt like an eventual divorce involving the Eagles and Brown has been inevitable since he first seemed to criticize quarterback Jalen Hurts in December 2024. More recently, Brown repeatedly made it known during the 2025 season that he was frustrated over his role in what was a struggling offense. He and head coach Nick Sirianni then got into a heated exchange during the playoff loss to the Niners that featured Brown committing multiple costly drops. 

While Eagles legend and current ESPN personality Jason Kelce is among those associated with the franchise who have acknowledged that watching Brown play for the club can be a "frustrating" experience, Kelce has also warned that "the Eagles and fans will end up regretting it" if Brown is traded. 

ESPN stats show that Brown ended the 2025 regular season ranked first on the Eagles with 78 receptions and second with 1,003 receiving yards. Over 15 games, he tallied seven touchdown catches. 

Brown signed a three-year, $96M extension with $84M in guaranteed money in the spring of 2024.

Are Eagles trying to send a message to A.J. Brown?

"This is a lesson for both parties that the grass isn't always greener," McManus added about the suggested trades for the sometimes mercurial wideout. "Sometimes, it's more brown." 

Perhaps the Eagles simply want it known that they won't sell Brown for pennies on the dollar, or maybe Roseman was telling the truth when he said in January that "it’s hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J.’s a great player."