A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia has become one of the more important long-term questions facing the Philadelphia Eagles, especially after a season that featured both production and visible frustration from the star wide receiver.

While trade speculation has been hot, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the most realistic outcome may not come anytime soon.

Advertisement

“The Eagles could expect to land some meaningful draft capital for Brown, but I’m not sure that would be a first-round pick given the public frustrations Brown expressed this past season. Brown also will be 29 next season, and though that’s still not particularly old by wide receiver standards, teams grow more hesitant about trading significant draft capital for veterans as they approach 30.

“The easiest thing for all parties involved might be giving the relationship one more shot and revisiting this in 2027, when most of the guaranteed money in Brown’s deal will have been paid out.

“But if the Eagles feel the need to push the eject button on their relationship with their top wideout, Brown will have a fascinating market. He’s still one of the league’s best wide receivers, even if he didn’t show it against the 49ers,” he wrote.

Trading him isn’t about talent, as Brown remains one of the best receivers in the NFL. The issue is all self-inflicted by the star receiver.

Advertisement

Trading Brown now wouldn’t maximize value. His contract still carries significant guaranteed money, and the public nature of his frustrations and postgame comments certainly doesn’t help any leverage. Teams know Philadelphia isn’t desperate, but they also know the relationship isn’t where it needs to be.

Waiting until 2027, however, could change everything. Even if we look past the financial part, if the Eagles were to have a better relationship with Brown, it’d make it easier to move on from him in a deal.

The Eagles are still built to contend right now and that could confuse things if they were to trade him right now, unless it was a one-for-one swap type of thing for another very good player.

Time will tell what will happen, but there were plenty of red flags.