Eagles players seem to disagree with Jordan Mailata about A.J. Brown, Patriots trade

Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata raised eyebrows and generated headlines when he said about the saga involving the Eagles eventually trading wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots: "Thank God it’s over." 

Understandably, not everybody within the Eagles locker room echoed Mailata's take on Tuesday. 

Eagles players lost a "big brother" via the A.J. Brown trade to the Patriots

"That's my big brother," Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell said about Brown, per Tim McManus of ESPN. "I wish him nothing but the best. He helped me grow in my game and gain more confidence, so I'm thankful for him, and I love him as a big brother."

Brown featured for the Eagles from the 2022 season through the 2025 campaign, and he helped the club win Super Bowl LIX in February 2025. While he and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts grew "apart" over the past couple of years, Brown seemingly would have been welcomed back with open arms by other Philadelphia players if he decided he wanted to stay put. 

"Anytime you lose a great player like him, it hurts," Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean said about Brown. "And he's a great friend of mine. He was a great teammate in our locker room. But there's a business side to this thing, so everybody did what was best for them."

DeVonta Smith understands the harsh reality about the Eagles trading A.J. Brown to the Patriots

DeVonta Smith is expected to serve as the Eagles' WR1 following Brown's departure. On Tuesday, Smith acknowledged that "business is business" as it pertains to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman accepting a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in return for Brown.

"The relationship we had, the brotherhood and things like that," Smith added about what he will miss about Brown, as shared by Cayden Steele of NJ Advance Media. "You look back, and we had a good time here. We had a great time here. Things that we did, things we accomplished on the field, off the field, you always share those moments." 

Brown often caused headaches for individuals within the Eagles via his words and actions over his final two seasons with the club. Nevertheless, it sounds like many of his former teammates wish he could have worked things out with Roseman to run it back with Philadelphia for at least one more year.