As NFL general managers are in full trade mode for this off season, perhaps one of the most discussed topics is whether the Philadelphia Eagles are going to trade star wide receiver A.J. Brown. As an Eagles fan, I might be a little biased in stating his popularity, but where he goes (if he leaves) has the potential to affect the preparation for all NFL head coaches for next season.
If you’re educated on the topic, then you’re probably as fed up as I am with all the jabber about where he is going to go, if he goes and what happens if he stays.
So, I say, trade him.
The Eagles may have had a winning record this past season, but by no means was it the same team that won Super Bowl LIX. Personally, this season was a hand-on-the-shaking-head, disappointed parent kind of watch. Brown had the same reaction.
Brown very explicitly vocalized his frustrations with not being thrown the ball enough through ominous social media posts, press interviews and a brutally honest Twitch stream where he told fans who had him in fantasy to drop him. Then, during the first round of the 2026 playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers, he had two critical, potentially game-changing drops. Maybe the drops were due to lack of practice, but after all the complaining, it was exasperating to watch as a fan.
Brown has a sign above his locker that reads “Always Open,” and similarly, his Instagram handle is @1k_alwaysopen, showing that he is an open book. He is honest about his feelings in the media, which is very rare in the NFL. For this reason, I think he should be traded: He is making too much noise.
At the beginning of the season when a reporter asked if he was “the same player” as last season due to his slow start, his response was, “I guess Saquon [Barkley] ain’t the same player either, then.” Football is a team sport, meaning there needs to be unity within the team. In what way does this deflective, defensive response add to this unity? Head coach Nick Sirianni’s fundamental philosophy when coaching is connection within the team to create strong bonds, and I can’t imagine Brown’s statement improved the connection between them. And when the head coach and a player aren’t on the same page, it leads to a disconnect on the field (as evidently shown).
His recent positive statements about the new offensive coaching staff, his commitment to quarterback Jalen Hurts and how Philadelphia is his home are too little, too late for me. His actions and words during the season are contrasting his statements now despite saying the picture has been painted incorrectly. How the player acts during the season is much more defining than how they act when everything is all said and done.
Brown might find that the grass is greener on a different team but, with him gone, it allows the Eagles to have stability. You never know what was going to come out of Brown’s unpredictable mouth in the press, with his emotions getting the best of him at times. The Eagles may finally be able to get on the same page without distractions and, when that happens, they might be surprised with what they find: renewed chemistry.
