‘Increased Optimism’ OLB Jaelan Phillips Re-Signs With Eagles
There’s been no shortage of interest in Eagles’ pending free agent outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who ranked No. 3 in PFR’s list of the top 50 free agents for the 2026 offseason. Obviously, one of the teams interested in landing his signature was going to be the team that sent a third-round pick to Miami in order to acquire him midseason last year. 
Days after Philadelphia’s season ended, Phillips made it known that he was interested in staying with the team. The team, too, expressed some hope that a deal would get done before the start of free agency, but nothing seemed to be progressing towards an agreement until a couple of reports today. It was NFL insider Jordan Schultz who first dropped an update, reporting that the Eagles “remain very interested” in retaining Phillips and that “talks are expected to continue and intensify.”
A report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport quickly followed in which he relayed that there has been “significant progress made between the Eagles and (Phillips) towards him returning to Philly.” Rapoport went on to say that, while nothing has been made official and no decisions have been made, there is reportedly “increased optimism” that a deal will be reached to keep him in Philadelphia.
The biggest hurdle to this getting done has been the sheer amount of interest in the 26-year-old pass rusher. Elite pass rushers have become an expensive commodity in the NFL, and as the top available free agent at the position, Phillips is sure to command quite a price as teams vie for his signature. Whenever Phillips was a trade target, the 49ers, Patriots, and Commanders joined Philadelphia in pursuit of the young pass rusher. Earlier today, it was reported that Phillips was on a laundry list of pass rushers the Cowboys were interested in as they look to replace the lost production of Micah Parsons. With so many teams interested in the top free agent at the position, there’s certain to be an inflated price tag on Phillips.
The other big hurdle for the Eagles is their existing roster. As Zach Berman of The Athletic puts it, the Eagles roster “at least 10 players on their defense viewed around the league” as being worth more than $10MM per year, not to mention the presence of players likely worth north of $20MM or $30MM per year. Much of the very talented defensive core is young in Philadelphia, and many will graduate from their rookie contracts soon. Because of how things will time out, every time the Eagles begin evaluating a contract offer, they’ll need to keep in mind how it will affect their ability to extend impact defenders in the next few years to come. This is one of the reasons we’ve seen defensive tackle Jalen Carter drawing trade interest.
A key example of the limitations of the salary cap is the situation in Philadelphia with wide receiver A.J. Brown. The idea that the Eagles might try to move Brown via trade has been in place since before the regular season even came to an end. There’s been plenty of interest in the veteran wideout with the Patriots, Bills, and Ravens being named in recent reports. The Bills have since agreed to acquire Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore, and the Ravens may no longer have the draft capital to offer for Brown after sending two Day 1 picks to Las Vegas for Maxx Crosby, but the Patriots remain largely interested in bringing Brown in.
One of the reasons the team hasn’t been able finalize a deal for Brown is due to the salary cap hit his contract holds this year of $23.39MM. This number isn’t completely preventative, but it makes it to where it would be much easier for the Eagles to trade Brown post-June 1. Philadelphia is willing to wait to do that, but there’s a fear that the team will enter free agency trying to work under the assumption that Browns’ numbers will come off the books, but then, by the time they are able to trade him more easily, his market will have dried up as teams got tired of waiting and addressed their receiver issues elsewhere, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Because of this, Garafolo claims that general manager Howie Roseman has attempted to get creative to work around the cap issue. Per Garafolo, Roseman wanted to test if a delayed trade could occur in which half of the deal happens now with the rest designated post-June 1. Essentially, it doesn’t seem likely that a deal to trade Brown is going to happen before the start of free agency.
Patriots Have Most Interest In Trading For A.J. Brown
It increasingly seems like an A.J. Brown trade could come together. Despite the financial implications of such a deal, the Eagles seem motivated to move the 28-year-old, though it will likely take a significant offer to make it worth their while.
The Patriots are the “most interested” in trading for Brown, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Chargers have also been linked to a deal, but the presence of Mike Vrabel (and the lack of a star wideout) in New England make it a logical destination. Stefon Diggs was the first Patriot to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Julian Edelman in 2019, and he will not be around next year.
New England’s current receiver room is comprised of veteran Mack Hollins, 2023 draftees Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, and last year’s rookies, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism. The first three had solid 2025 campaigns but only combined for 110 catches and 1,548 receiving yards, while Williams and Chism both made a few plays downfield but did little beyond that.
Hollins offers a steady floor but a low ceiling. Boutte and Douglas both showed signs of development with career-best efficiency metrics. And Williams and Chism could certainly become more consistent contributors. But a team hoping to avoid a Super Bowl hangover needs to be proactive to do so. Rather than waiting until the summer (or later) to upgrade their receiving corps, trading for Brown now would allow the Patriots to take a ‘best player available’ approach to April’s draft.
It would also reunite Brown with Vrabel, which could alleviate some of the locker room concerns with acquiring the infamously expressive wideout. He would also replace Diggs as a proven, high-end veteran target for Drake Maye. The two have similar pedigrees, but Brown is four years younger with better statistics across the last three years.
Meeting the Eagles’ reported asking price of first- and second-round picks is doable for the Patriots. They can be more willing to move draft capital for veterans while Maye and other key players at expensive positions are on rookie deals.
Philadelphia will still have to figure out a way to accommodate the net decrease in cap space resulting from dealing Brown, but both sides seem ready to move on, and, as a result, the Patriots seem ready to move in.
Eagles Aiming For Pre-Free Agency A.J. Brown Solution; Chargers In Play For WR?
A.J. Brown figures to learn his 2026 destination soon. The Eagles, along with the teams in this trade pursuit, want the matter resolved over the next couple of days, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. A few clubs have been connected to the standout wide receiver.
The Bills checked in on Brown before agreeing to acquire D.J. Moore, and the Patriots and Ravens emerged as the most likely destinations. The Chargers are another team looking into this situation, Russini adds. Although the Patriots are still in this mix, they might require a price reduction from the Eagles to make the trade.
New England is an acceptable destination for Brown, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Pats, though, still view Howie Roseman‘s asking price — believed to be first- and second-round picks — as too steep, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson notes. Philly is not budging on the price, per Russini. Considering how punitive trading Brown before June 1 would be for the Eagles, it makes sense they are sticking to their guns here.
The Rams were also involved in this derby, per Rapoport, but Russini adds the team has since moved on. Considering Los Angeles is sending one of its two first-rounders to Kansas City for Trent McDuffie, it would seem unlikely — even given the Rams’ history with picks-for-players trades — they will not want to trade more high picks for Brown.
Brown being interested in a Foxborough landing is notable given the Patriots’ failure to sell Brandon Aiyuk on such a path in 2024. Brown, 28, would be reuniting with ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel in this case. While a report indicated the Patriots may not be ready to make a big trade, the team has been linked to Brown at multiple points. The Pats are releasing Stefon Diggs, creating a glaring need at wide receiver. With Drake Maye on a rookie contract, the Pats have a window to make such a move.
The Chargers have Ladd McConkey tied to rookie terms for at least one more season. The Bolts have a Quentin Johnston fifth-year option decision to make, but it seems unlikely the 2023 first-rounder will see that option exercised. Tre Harris arrived in last year’s second round and would stand to play a bigger role in 2026, as Keenan Allen is unsigned ahead of a potential age-34 season. Brown would obviously step in as the Chargers’ No. 1 playmaker. The Bolts lead the NFL in cap space and could certainly add a $32MM-AAV receiver deal. While they are not expected to be aggressive in free agency, a trade for a marquee wideout would provide a major upgrade for Justin Herbert.
If Brown is still an Eagle next season, he will count an affordable $23.39MM against their salary cap. On the other hand, trading Brown before June 1 would level the Eagles with a 43.45MM dead cap charge, a record for his position. They would also lose $20.12MM in spending room. Brown has not requested a trade, but after a rocky recent past, the sides appear close to separating.
Bears, Bills Finalizing D.J. Moore Trade
D.J. Moore‘s Bears future has been in question, and he will indeed be on the move soon. The veteran wideout will be dealt to the Bills once the new league year begins, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chicago will receive a 2026 second-round pick (No. 60 overall) in the deal while sending a 2026 fifth-rounder back to Buffalo, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Bears will also see $16.5MM in cap savings, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap, though that will not kick in until the trade is processed at the start of the new league year. As a result, they will need to make other moves to become cap-compliant by next Wednesday.
The Bills will take on the remainder of Moore’s contract, which runs through 2029. He is owed $24.5MM in each year with the same cap number. His 2026 salary is already guaranteed, and $15.5MM of his 2027 salary guarantees on March 13.
Buffalo is also guaranteeing $15.5MM of Moore’s 2028 salary as part of the trade, per Schefter. It is unclear if they are expanding the 2027 guarantees to cover the entire year’s salary. Moore, notably, has negotiated fully guaranteed compensation for each of his first nine seasons in the NFL and could very well get to 11 as a result of this deal.
Along with the second-rounder they moved to acquire him, that is a hefty commitment for a player who just posted career-low receiving numbers in the NFL’s 10th-ranked passing offense. His 1.44 yards per route run in 2024 and 1.24 YPRR in 2025 are the lowest figures of his career, per Pro Football Focus, (subscription required). However, that can be partially attributed to a crowded Bears offense that featured a strong running game and young pass-catchers Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Luther Burden.
Still, Buffalo had a clear desire to upgrade their receiving corps. They checked in on A.J. Brown and Alec Pierce, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, but ultimately opted to reunite Moore with head coach Joe Brady. The two last worked together in Carolina in 2020 and 2021, during which time Moore put up 2,350 yards and eight touchdowns on 159 receptions.
Perhaps Brady can get him back to that production or better in a receiver room with less competition – Khalil Shakir was the only Bills wideout to top 40 receptions or 500 receiving yards last year. But given the financial and draft compensation, it is hard to like this trade for the Bills. Moore is about to turn 29 after two years of decline and the team is essentially tied to him through his age-31 season after adding guarantees to his deal.
Bills Inquired On Eagles’ A.J. Brown; Patriots, Ravens In Play For WR?
Days before free agency’s outset, the Bills made an early strike by agreeing to acquire D.J. Moore from the Bears. This move cost a second-round pick , but it secured them a talented wide receiver — a former Joe Brady Panthers pupil — who is signed through 2029. Buffalo may not be done at the need area.
Before acquiring Moore, the Bills asked about a bigger fish. They are believed to have checked in with the Eagles on A.J. Brown, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Philly is eyeing a Quinnen Williams-type trade package, which would feature a first-rounder and a second — with the first potentially coming in 2027.
As Connor Byrne’s Eagles Offseason Outlook noted, the team owes Brown a $4MM 2027 guarantee on March 13. Moving on before that date would make the six-time 1,000-yard receiver responsible for that guarantee. While a $4MM number may not represent a good enough reason for the Eagles to make a hasty decision with their No. 1 receiver, plenty of smoke has emerged regarding a Brown relocation.
The Patriots and Ravens are viewed as the most likely destination for Brown, according to McLane, who adds the Eagles do not appear to be planning to trade their top pass catcher to an NFC team. It would be historically punitive for Philly to move on from Brown before June 1; that explains why the team is asking for a monster trade package — even when teams may be viewing the eighth-year WR to be worth a second-rounder-centered offer. With Moore going for what he did after a 682-yard season, Howie Roseman is unlikely to move off his asking price.
If Brown is still an Eagle next season, he will count an affordable $23.39MM against their salary cap. On the other hand, trading Brown before June 1 would level the Eagles with a 43.45MM dead cap charge, a record for his position. They would also lose $20.12MM in spending room.
The Eagles filled Brown’s contract with option bonuses, keeping cap hits low but increasing the damage in a trade this early in a through-2029 contract. An acquiring team would owe Brown $29MM guaranteed for 2026 and be responsible for the $4MM 2027 guarantee. That seems reasonable for a player of Brown’s abilities, even though the ex-Titans draftee has proven to be a high-maintenance weapon.
This marks the first Ravens-Brown connection. The team is not known for such splashy moves, and it has Zay Flowers contracted for two more years — once his fifth-year option is exercised. Baltimore also extended Rashod Bateman last year, giving him a three-year deal worth $36.75MM.
Flowers is also extension-eligible. Although the Ravens can backload a deal for the 2023 first-rounder, they also have a quarterback on a big-ticket contract to go with eight-figure AAVs at running back and tight end. The Ravens, as PFR’s Nikhil Mehta noted in his Offseason Outlook, will try to extend Lamar Jackson this year. A restructure would need to take place otherwise, as Jackson is due to count an untenable $74.5MM on the 2026 cap.
The Patriots do not have these issues. After the news of Stefon Diggs‘ impending release, the defending AFC champions no longer have a notable contract at receiver. Hunter Henry is signed to a team-friendly TE deal, while Rhamondre Stevenson is also south of $10MM per year.
Most importantly, the Pats have Drake Maye at a rookie rate. That will likely change in 2027, but such a deal can/will be backloaded. That opens the door for some spending, and the Diggs exit creates a major need. While a report indicated the Patriots may be unlikely to pursue big trades, that surfaced before the Diggs cut. Brown also spent three seasons playing for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee.
As for the Bills, Moore will join Khalil Shakir as Josh Allen‘s lead receivers. Buffalo may not be done, with Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline noting the team plans to add another WR piece via free agency or the draft. The Bills are presently $31MM-plus over the cap, with restructures coming soon to reach compliance. The Moore contract will make matters a bit tight for the AFC East power to keep adding, but Pauline adds Romeo Doubs has been mentioned as a player the Bills are expected to target.
Ranked 11th among PFR’s top 50 free agents, Doubs brings an age advantage on fellow FA wideouts Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans. While Alec Pierce will be the market’s top receiver, Doubs (26 in April) should do well next week. The four-year Packer has three 600-plus-yard seasons on his resume, including a career-high 724 (on 13.2 yards per catch) in 2025. The Bills will not be alone in pursuing the 204-pound WR.
Eagles Rumors: Phillips, Goedert, Brown
A few days after the Eagles’ season ended, pending free agent Jaelan Phillips expressed interest in staying in Philadelphia. No deal has come together roughly a month and a half later, but the Eagles are “hopeful” they will re-sign the outside linebacker before free agency opens March 11, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports.
A former Miami Hurricane, Phillips stayed in the area when the Dolphins drafted him 18th overall in 2021. Phillips did not miss a game during his first two seasons, a 34-game span in which he combined for 15.5 sacks. However, between a torn Achilles in 2023 and a partially torn ACL in ’24, Phillips was on the field for just 12 games over the next two seasons.
The 26-year-old Phillips made an encouraging rebound to health during a 17-game 2025. Phillips was still a Dolphin for their first nine games, but the out-of-contention club sent him to the Eagles for a third-round pick before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. The move reunited Phillips with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who held the same post with the Dolphins in 2023.
The Eagles were unable to defend their Super Bowl title last season, but Phillips was nonetheless an effective acquisition. Although he did not post a gaudy sack total (two), he notched 17 pressures, seven QB hits, four passes defensed and four tackles for loss in eight games. Between the Dolphins and Eagles, he combined for the league’s ninth-most pressures (73) with 53 tackles, 14 QB hits, seven TFL and five sacks. Phillips now finds himself in a similar pending free agent tier to fellow 20-something pass rushers Kwity Paye and Odafe Oweh.
Turning to the offensive side, tight end Dallas Goedert also ranks among the Eagles’ noteworthy pending free agents. General manager Howie Roseman has interest in bringing back the career-long Eagle for a ninth season, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The two sides will continue to talk leading up to free agency.
Notably, Goedert’s potential exit would subject the Eagles to a $20MM dead money charge stemming from void years. That may provide added motivation to re-sign Goedert, who had one of his most productive pass-catching seasons in 2025.
The Eagles heavily relied on Goedert, who registered a 74.7% offensive snap share and led the team with 11 TD grabs (a franchise record for his position). The 31-year-old also ranked third among Eagles in receptions (60), targets (82) and yards (591) over 15 games.
If the Eagles lose Goedert, longtime Browns tight end David Njoku is a potential replacement. While Njoku enjoyed a successful nine-year run in Cleveland, he will walk in free agency in the wake of Harold Fannin‘s emergence as a rookie last season. Njoku could land in Philadelphia, which is interested in the soon-to-be 30-year-old, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP.
Meanwhile, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown remains one of the league’s highest-profile trade candidates. The Eagles have insisted on a first-round pick in any package, which has not changed. Offers continue to come in, though Garafolo says Roseman is continuing to hold out for a Quinnen Williams-like return. The Cowboys acquired the defensive tackle from the Jets for a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder and DT Mazi Smith before last year’s trade deadline.
A report last week indicated that Roseman is likely to make a decision on Brown by the start of the legal tampering period on March 9. Electing to either keep or trade Brown by then would give Roseman a better idea how to proceed with other important offseason business.
Eagles Seeking First- And Second-Round Picks For A.J. Brown?
MARCH 1: While rival clubs believe a package headlined by a second-round pick represents Brown’s “true” trade value, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler do not believe that will be enough to get a deal done. The duo confirms a first-round pick is a requirement, as Roseman is willing to move Brown but does not want to do so unless the offer is too good to pass up.
Fowler still sees the Patriots as a logical destination, despite a separate ESPN report suggesting New England may not be inclined to swing a trade featuring high-end draft compensation.
FEBRUARY 27: With wide receiver A.J. Brown regularly sharing his frustration over the Eagles’ offense last season, they reportedly listened to trade offers ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline. Brown is still an Eagle almost four months later, but questions regarding his future have not subsided. As the offseason gets underway across the NFL, Brown continues to look like a legitimate trade candidate.
A late-December report indicated the Eagles could look to move Brown this offseason. Around two weeks later, the Eagles’ season ended with an uninspired offensive showing in a 23-19 wild-card round loss to the 49ers. Brown and head coach Nick Sirianni got into a memorable sideline dust-up in the first half, though the coach downplayed it afterward.
[RELATED: Patriots Interested In Brown Trade]
It was also a rough evening on the field for the 28-year-old Brown. On the heels of his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, he caught just three of seven targets against the 49ers. Brown dropped two passes and accounted for a meager 25 yards.
When meeting with media on Tuesday, Sirianni did not “guarantee” Brown would return to Philadelphia for a fifth season. General manager Howie Roseman acknowledged that “you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything.”
Although Brown had his problems with the Eagles last season, Roseman is not inclined to ship out the three-time Pro Bowler/second-team All-Pro for cheap. One NFL executive told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer he heard that Roseman is seeking a first- and second-round pick in return. Whether that is realistic remains to be seen, but the Eagles are expected to make a decision by March 9, sources told McLane. That would give Roseman clarity on Brown’s future heading into the new league year.
Although there is plenty of smoke around a potential Brown trade, Roseman will keep him if he doesn’t receive a tempting enough offer, according to McLane. If Brown is still an Eagle next season, he will count an affordable $23.39MM against their salary cap. On the other hand, trading Brown before June 1 would level the Eagles with a 43.45MM dead cap charge, a record for his position. They would also lose $20.12MM in spending room. Meanwhile, an acquiring team would have to take on what’s left of the three-year, $96MM extension Brown signed before the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning 2024 campaign.
Holding off until after June 1, as the Falcons did when they traded Julio Jones in 2021, would point to a more favorable financial situation for the Eagles next season. They would still have to spread his dead money over two years ($16.35MM in 2026 and $27.1MM in ’27), but they would free up $7MM in breathing room in 2026. Despite that, it does not appear the Eagles will wait that long to map out Brown’s future. By the sounds of it, Roseman will either get rid of Brown in the next 10 days or the wideout will stay put.
Patriots Interested In WR A.J. Brown
The Patriots spent 2024 exhausting just about every avenue to add a marquee wide receiver. Their Calvin Ridley free agency pursuit failed, and Brandon Aiyuk opted to return to the 49ers rather than be traded to New England. Last year, however, Stefon Diggs provided substantial help by posting his seventh 1,000-yard season.
As PFR’s Ben Levine noted in his Patriots Offseason Outlook, Diggs is not a lock to be back in Foxborough. The mercurial veteran is due see $6MM of his 2026 compensation become guaranteed March 13. Diggs’ cap number climbs from $10.5MM last year to $26.5MM in 2026, putting a separation on the radar. But the Patriots could potentially keep Diggs and add another impact veteran.
The team is interested in reuniting Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown, MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels report. Vrabel coached Brown for three seasons with the Titans and was not believed to be happy when the team traded the high-end WR during the 2022 draft.
Brown has been a persistent issue in Philadelphia, but the former Tennessee standout has been one of the most productive skill-position players in Eagles history. Going into an age-29 season, he would be a valuable piece in a trade. Nick Sirianni stopped short of guaranteeing Brown would be back, and the Eagles are prepared to listen to offers.
Philly is believed to be setting a high price on Brown, who has gone 4-for-4 — despite bemoaning his role in the offense at various points — in 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the team. It might take first- and second-round picks — at least, that may be the asking price — to pry Brown from the NFC East club. That would be a difficult move for a team to make for a receiver with seven years’ experience, but Brown’s option bonus-laden contract runs through the 2029 season. That would be valuable for a team, should it feel comfortable acquiring the high-maintenance performer.
Despite a massive dead money number if the Eagles were to trade Brown before June 1, the team is expected to make a decision by March 9 — when the legal tampering period begins. Trading Brown before June 1 would level the Eagles with a 43.45MM dead cap charge, a record for his position. They would also lose $20.12MM in spending room. Meanwhile, an acquiring team would have to take on what’s left of the three-year, $96MM extension Brown signed before the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning 2024 campaign.
The Patriots would be picking up a $29MM guarantee on Brown’s 2026 money, but little locked-in compensation exists in this contract beyond this coming season. As PFR’s Connor Byrne noted in his Eagles Offseason Outlook, the team moving on before March 13 would allow them to pass a $4MM 2027 guarantee for the wideout to another club. Option bonuses worth $19.41MM, $29.36MM and $28.32MM are in place for 2027, ’28 and ’29, per Spotrac. The Eagles rely heavily on option bonuses for cap purposes. That will make moving Brown now difficult for the perennial contender.
A need may exist for the Patriots to restructure Diggs’ contract, per Guregian and Daniels. The Pats could reduce Diggs’ $20.6MM 2026 salary by moving money into a signing bonus, thus increasing the dead money hit in 2027. It would be unlikely Diggs will be keen on accepting a pay cut after being the runaway receiving leader on an AFC champion, but the Pats look to be trying to get the 32-year-old WR’s cap hit down. Diggs also faces a potential suspension for an alleged assault. He pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges earlier this month.
New England has rookie-deal wideouts Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas signed for one more season apiece. Mack Hollins‘ two-year, $8.4MM contract also runs through 2026. Holding just more than $40MM in cap space, the Patriots have also been linked to Maxx Crosby in a trade. It would be highly unlikely New England could acquire both, but a Brown resolution figures to come before Crosby, whom the Raiders want to retain. Crosby is also in the process of recovering from knee surgery.
In addition to creating a massive dead money figure, the Eagles would have a major receiving need alongside DeVonta Smith. Philly’s aerial attack has run through Brown, Smith and Dallas Goedert for four seasons now. Goedert is due for free agency next month. While Howie Roseman is one of the most aggressive GMs in NFL history, the Eagles remember being deficient at receiver not too long ago. Misses on JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Jalen Reagor left Philly in need as the Carson Wentz era ended, and the Smith and Brown moves turned the position into a strength.
For his issues with the Eagles’ passing game at times, Brown spoke highly of his current employer recently. Will the Eagles cash out on Brown in his 20s and move back into unknown territory at wideout? It appears we are close to finding out.
Nick Sirianni: No Guarantee A.J. Brown Remains With Eagles
Trade talks involving A.J. Brown were expected to take place this offseason, and the Combine represents prime dealing ground. While the Eagles may not be shopping the accomplished wide receiver, this rocky partnership could be tested in Indianapolis.
Brown gripes about his role have been commonplace, and the Eagles’ 2025 season-ender brought a short sideline confrontation with Nick Sirianni. Although Brown has reeled off four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, his Eagles tenure is uncertain to reach Year 5. Considering the contract component, the Eagles would need a big trade haul to move on.
Sirianni confirmed both he and Brown want this partnership to continue, but the sixth-year Eagles HC stopped short of guaranteeing he would be back.
“As Howie [Roseman] said, it’s hard to get good players in this league. A.J.’s a great player, and A.J. is a good teammate, and A.J. is a good person,” Sirianni said, via ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. “Does he want to be here? Yes. Do I want him to be here? Yes.
“Will A.J. be here next season? I think we’re still in a spot, like, I can’t guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season.”
That certainly qualifies as coach-speak, but the Eagles may field some viable offers for a player who has grumbled about his place in an offense that just changed coordinators yet again. Sean Mannion replaced Kevin Patullo and will call plays in 2026. It would be unlikely Mannion would voice a strong objection to rostering Brown, but the former Titans draftee has voiced frustration about his role under Patullo and Kellen Moore.
Missing two games last season (only one due to injury), Brown saw his yards-per-game figure drop to 66.9. That marked a Philly-years-low figure. The Eagles have both he and DeVonta Smith on extensions, the latter a now-team-friendly three-year, $75MM deal. The team paid Brown a second time in 2024, giving him a then-receiver-record $32MM-per-year extension. That contract runs through 2029. As this is the Eagles, option bonuses comprise a sizable chunk of the contract. Moving on would be difficult from a dead money perspective.
Philly would absorb a receiver-record $43.45MM in dead money by moving Brown, who would generate no cap savings in a trade before June 1. If the Eagles held onto Brown and moved him after that date, a la the Falcons’ 2021 Julio Jones trade or last year’s Dolphins-Steelers Jalen Ramsey swap, they would save more than $7MM. That may be the only way out for Brown this offseason.
“I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything,” Roseman said. “If someone is going to give you something you didn’t anticipate and you won’t even have the conversation, I don’t think you’re necessarily doing your job or really servicing the team you’re with. Certainly, we’ve been in situations where there were guys we didn’t anticipate trading that we got an offer that was too good, and then you balance it with what you can get there.
“Without getting into specifics on any player, we’re always listening and we’re always kind of open. There’s very few things that I would shoot down without even hearing what that means, because how does it hurt to listen?”
Brown, 29 in June, prompted trade offers before last year’s deadline. The Eagles listened, though they informed teams the high-maintenance wideout was unlikely to be moved. A subsequent Brown-Jeffery Lurie meeting led to the receiver promising he would not air grievances through social media.
The Eagles discussed Dallas Goedert in trades last year but eventually reached a solution (via pay cut). No pay-cut move is coming here, but the team is far from certain to trade such an important piece of its offense in a Super Bowl window. Given the Brown contract’s structure, it is possible this saga will linger into the summer. But the Combine will give the Eagles an early window to hear what could be out there for their star pass catcher. A Brown trade later this year would certainly give Philly a major need, as a trade to acquire a replacement may be needed down the line.
Latest On Eagles’ Situation With WR A.J. Brown
It’s been just over a month since the Eagles’ season ended with a home loss to the 49ers that featured what appeared to be a heated shouting match between head coach Nick Siriani and wide receiver A.J. Brown on the sidelines. Despite late-season rumors that the team could consider the possibility of trading Brown in the offseason, it’s been all quiet on that front up to this point. It might not remain quiet for much longer, though.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, while “substantial conversations about his future have not yet taken place,” there are expectations that talks on the matter will “ramp up around the NFL combine.” With over 300 college athletes headed to Indianapolis next week for the NFL Scouting Combine, scouts and executives from every NFL team will be congregating to evaluate and speak with draft prospects. With so many personnel decisionmakers in one place, the combine has become a notorious event for teams to begin preliminary discussions on players that might be available for the right price. This allows front offices to gauge interest in players and determine which teams may be willing to enter conversations.
Until then, though, discussions on the possibility of Philadelphia dealing Brown have continuously pointed to the idea that, more likely than not, the veteran wide receiver isn’t going anywhere. Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com did a deep dive on the financial implications of cutting or trading Brown with four years remaining on his current contract. Cutting him makes little sense. Doing so now would only help the team avoid a nominal $4MM 2027 salary guarantee set to be triggered soon while still requiring them to cover his $29MM guaranteed salary for 2026, resulting in $72.45MM of dead money along with a loss of $49.06MM in cap space. A post-June 1 designation only slightly deflates those figures to $45.35MM of dead money with a $21.96MM cap loss.
Moving Brown in a trade is a bit more viable, due to the nature of how Philadelphia structures their contracts. Per Fitzgerald, the Eagles utilize option bonuses that cover “all of the salary for a player in a year except for the minimum that is mandated” by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This essentially functions in the same way teams use signing bonuses on restructures to pay players more in a given year while reducing their cap hit for the season. The deadlines for those options do hit until late in the preseason, so the team gets all summer to explore trade options for Brown.
Financially, trading Brown now would have similar costs to designating him as a post-June 1 cut. The transaction would result in $43.45MM of dead money with a $20.06MM cap loss. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, because of those costly figures, the Eagles would likely require some serious compensation in order to move him any time from now until June 1. Trading him June 2 or later finally starts to make some modicum of sense, as the dead money figure reduces to $16.35MM and $7.04MM of cap relief becomes a possibility.
With how difficult it could be to move Brown, there’s always a possibility that the Eagles resort to retaining the veteran wideout for the 2026 NFL season, and if Brown’s recent appearance on The Edge With Micah Parsons podcast is any indication, that very well could be where things are headed. Throughout the interview, Brown had only good things to say. When asked about the firing of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, Brown told host Micah Parsons that he had “the utmost respect for (Patullo),” going on to claim that “he did a tremendous job,” despite the offense racking up the ninth-fewest yards in the NFL. Brown even spoke on the future of the team. He started ambiguous, expressing his excitement “for the season” and “for what’s to come” but then laid out some team-oriented goals.
“As an offense, we just come back and just really watch tape and, like I said earlier, rediscover ourselves and go to work,“ Brown told his host. “We have great leadership in our locker room, and I’m fortunate to be part of it on offense. We do have a lot of talent, but talent gets us nowhere. It’s all about being detailed and disciplined.”
That all sounds nothing like a player making trade demands. That sounds everything like a player who has every intention of returning to run it back with his current team. There’s always a possibility that Brown realizes the financial restrictions his contract imposes on a potential trade and that acting like he has no intention of ever playing for the Eagles again would kill any leverage Philadelphia may need in order to accumulate the compensation necessary to make a trade worth the dead money and cap loss.
So, either Brown is playing the role of dutiful teammate to better his team’s chances of trading him or Brown is genuinely excited about his future with the team, and a trade might not be necessary. It’s hard to solidly get behind either theory at the moment, but more information may clear things up a bit once talks pick up at the NFL Scouting Combine next week.