{"id":114527,"date":"2026-02-15T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T10:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/114527\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T10:00:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T10:00:13","slug":"talk-about-trading-a-j-brown-is-madness-and-would-be-the-wrong-eagle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/114527\/","title":{"rendered":"Talk about trading A.J. Brown is madness, and would be the wrong Eagle"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2014, after one season as the Eagles\u2019 head coach, Chip Kelly decided he\u2019d had enough of DeSean Jackson, who\u2019d been kind of a headache. Jeffrey Lurie<\/a> had given Kelly power over the roster, and Kelly cut Jackson.<\/p>\n

Jackson proceeded to lead the NFL in yards per catch in three of the next five seasons, two of which were 1,000-yard seasons. The Eagles would have just one 1,000-yard wide receiver in the next eight seasons (2014-21). They later had two in the same year, 2022, and the No. 1 receiver was A.J. Brown<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today, 12 years after Kelly\u2019s first foolish move \u2014 he also traded running back LeSean McCoy and he drafted disappointing receivers Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthews \u2014 the Eagles again have a high-production receiver who\u2019s been kind of a headache. NFL sources say they Eagles are considering trading him, even though such a trade would carry severe salary-cap ramifications; about $16 million, minimum.<\/p>\n

That receiver is A.J. Brown.<\/p>\n

Trading him would be crazy.<\/p>\n

The Eagles should not even entertain offers for Brown. He is 28. He is driven. He is dedicated. He is irreplaceable. He\u2019s spent the last four years making quarterback Jalen Hurts<\/a> look good. That\u2019s got to count for something.<\/p>\n

Sure, he\u2019s a diva<\/a>, but then, he\u2019s always been a diva. He was a diva when they traded for him four years ago. Brown immediately hung an \u201cAlways Open\u201d sign above his locker. Huge diva move.<\/p>\n

He has, at times, looked exasperated on the field. He has argued with coach Nick Sirianni<\/a> on the sideline. For the last two seasons he\u2019s continually criticized the offense both in person and on social media. The Eagles let him get away with it because they knew he\u2019d still play well. They also let him get away with it because they knew, when they made the trade, and when they extended his contract twice, that he was likely to act like this.<\/p>\n

Think about it: If you let your kid throw tantrums on the floor of the grocery store for three years, you can\u2019t expect him to stop throwing tantrums when he\u2019s 4. You just hope the tantrums aren\u2019t so bad you can\u2019t keep shopping.<\/p>\n

\u00bb READ MORE: Hayes: Jeffrey Lurie admired Kellen Moore as OC in Dallas and hired a similar coach, Sean Mannion, for the Eagles<\/a><\/p>\n

Could this behavior be a distraction? On most teams, yes. But nobody in the Eagles locker room pays much attention to Brown\u2019s antics. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a genuine appreciation for A.J,\u201d Jason Kelce<\/a> said Wednesday on 94 WIP. <\/p>\n

Kelce has been retired for two seasons, but he remains well-connected to his former coaches and teammates. On Wednesday, Kelce also noted that Brown\u2019s frustrations might be limiting the receiver\u2019s effectiveness<\/a>. Kelce certainly would know. In his final season, Kelce, himself an emotional player, counseled Brown on harnessing frustration.<\/p>\n

Both Kelce and Brown\u2019s current teammates know Brown for who he is. They also know the Eagles cannot afford the luxury of sudden sanctimony.<\/p>\n

But does he really want to be here?<\/p>\n

Brown hinted during the season that he might want to leave Philadelphia, posting the Bible verse Mark 6:11 after Week 4 on X: \u201cIf you\u2019re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don\u2019t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then ignored the media for the season\u2019s final two months. When he departed the locker room after the Eagles\u2019 home playoff loss to the 49ers, he hugged several teammates in scenes that looked like permanent goodbyes. <\/p>\n

However, last week, Brown broke his media silence on Micah Parsons\u2019 podcast, apparently to send the message that he\u2019d be happy to return to the Eagles.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an offense, we just come back and just really watch the tape and rediscover ourselves,\u201d Brown said. <\/p>\n

Asked if he was excited about new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion<\/a>, he replied, \u201cI\u2019m excited for the season. I\u2019m excited for what\u2019s to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the bigger picture, it\u2019s less important whether Brown wants to return than whether the Eagles can win another championship without him. <\/p>\n

They cannot.<\/p>\n

The Eagles have a shrinking window in which to reach another Super Bowl<\/a> without a significant rebuild. They went to two of the last four Super Bowls. Get rid of Brown, and you can forget reaching a third any time soon.<\/p>\n

He just had a 1,000-yard season in only 15 games, and that was his worst season in Philly. In 2024 he had a 1,000-yard season and played in just 13 games. He gave up on a few routes this season, and he disappeared in the wild-card playoff loss, but even when he\u2019s bad, he\u2019s good.<\/p>\n

\u00bb READ MORE: Your updated guide to the 2026 Eagles offseason: Staff changes, free agency targets and more<\/a><\/p>\n

How good?<\/p>\n

He\u2019s the best receiver in Eagles history. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s gained 5,034 receiving yards on 339 catches in four seasons. That\u2019s 387 more yards and 76 more catches than Mike Quick\u2019s best four seasons, 986 yards and 104 catches than Harold Carmichael\u2019s best four seasons, and 1,097 yards and 131 catches more than Tommy McDonald\u2019s best four seasons as an Eagle. They played in different eras, especially McDonald, but if you think A.J. Brown wouldn\u2019t have dominated in the 1950s and \u201960s, then you need to YouTube some NFL Films.<\/p>\n

Why would you trade the best receiver in team history if he\u2019s still in his prime?<\/p>\n

Which opens another discussion: Is Brown still in his prime? <\/p>\n

If you look at simple stats, then probably yes. If you look at some advanced metrics, you might think his moon is waning. <\/p>\n

For instance, Brown\u2019s average separation last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, was 2.2 yards, eighth-lowest among qualified receivers. It also was an improvement; his 2.1 average in 2024 was third-lowest. But does it matter? After all, when he went to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 his separation averages were 2.6 and 2.4 yards, respectively.<\/p>\n

Brown still consistently draws coverage from the other team\u2019s best cornerback. He still consistently draws double teams. Last season, Pro Football Focus<\/a> ranked him 11th in all-around play among receivers with at least 60 targets. He was No. 2 in drop rate.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say he couldn\u2019t have played better, but then, the wide receiver position is more dependent on the rest of the team than any other position. <\/p>\n

\u00bb READ MORE: Hayes: Jeff Stoutland exits as Vic Fangio pondered retirement: Eagles drama never ends<\/a><\/p>\n

The Eagles passing offense has averaged fewer than 195 yards per game each of the last two seasons, which seems absurd considering the weapons at Hurts\u2019 disposal, but nobody in their right mind would consider this issue to fall at the feet of Brown, nor DeVonta Smith<\/a>, nor Dallas Goedert<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 2024, with defenses having discovered Hurts\u2019 shortcomings and challenged Hurts\u2019 arm, veteran offensive coordinator Kellen Moore<\/a> leaned on running back Saquon Barkley<\/a> and a historically dominant offensive line. That\u2019s how the Eagles won the Super Bowl. <\/p>\n

In 2025, opposing defenses sold out to stop Barkley, which worked, since the line had deteriorated due to age and injury. Challenged again, and with a first-time coordinator in Kevin Patullo<\/a>, Hurts failed.<\/p>\n

Not Brown. Hurts.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be real, folks.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re talking about trading the wrong damned guy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2014, after one season as the Eagles\u2019 head coach, Chip Kelly decided he\u2019d had enough of DeSean…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":114528,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[54593,69,71,70],"class_list":{"0":"post-114527","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-aj-brown-trade-jason-kelce-jalen-hurts-2026-offseason","9":"tag-philadelphia","10":"tag-philadelphia-headlines","11":"tag-philadelphia-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}