Ever since the season ended, one storyline has dominated Philadelphia’s offseason: what happens with A.J. Brown. For months, the rumors swirled, the speculation piled up, and the whispers grew louder, but nothing concrete ever materialized. Now, according to an insider, the Eagles may finally have a date.

“I think he [AJ Brown] gets moved. Today’s Friday, it’s gotta happen in the next 2 days. Buckle up today!” NFL insider Mike Garafolo said on The Anthony Gargano Show.

Reportedly, A.J. Brown is expected to be traded within the next two days, or at the very latest before March 13. The reason is clearly outlined in his contract structure. On the third day of the new league year, his $4 million salary for the 2027 season becomes fully guaranteed. Just one day later, on March 14, his $29 million base salary for the 2026 season also locks in. 

If Brown is still on Philly’s roster beyond that window, he becomes significantly more expensive to both retain and trade. The WR is currently playing out a three-year, $96 million contract extension. Under that deal, he is set to earn a base salary of $1.3 million with $27.7 million in signing and workout bonuses this year. 

His cap hit stands at $23.39 million, and if the Eagles were to release or trade him after the financial guarantees kick in, they would absorb a staggering $72.51 million in dead cap money. 

The Eagles currently carry just $12.52 million in cap space for the season, and Brown’s cap number ranks second on the team’s books. Trading him would make sense as it frees up significant financial flexibility. But obviously, money alone is not why Philly is ready to move on from Brown. 

The tension between Brown and the Eagles organization has been simmering for nearly two full seasons now. The WR repeatedly voiced his frustration over receiving fewer opportunities in the offense. When he arrived from Tennessee, he became a back-to-back Pro Bowler and looked like one of the best trades in recent Eagles history.

The 2023 season was his peak, with a career-high 106 catches on 158 targets. But the decline began in 2024, with Saquon Barkley’s arrival highlighted as a major contributing factor.

In his first season with the Eagles, Barkley led the league in rushing yards with 2,005 and in rushing attempts with 345, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way. 

With attention shifting, Brown’s role was quietly squeezed. He finished that season with 67 catches on 97 targets for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns in just 13 games. However, the last season became the breaking point. 

The Eagles’ offense lost its explosiveness and looked vanilla at best under former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Brown once again finished a full season without a single individual award, closing out the year with 78 catches on 121 targets for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns across 15 games. It was below the standard he had set for himself. So, he made sure everyone knew how he felt. 

However, head coach Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts largely stayed tight-lipped as the frustration mounted publicly. But the tension finally boiled over on the sideline during the Wild Card loss to the 49ers, when Sirianni was seen marching toward Brown in the first half and demanding he get off the field. 

That moment was caught on camera and dissected endlessly across social media. That was the loudest signal yet that this partnership had run its course. Now, the Eagles seem set to make it official, but not at any price.

The Eagles set a sky-high price for AJ Brown that the teams are struggling to meet

The New England Patriots have emerged as the most aggressive suitor for AJ Brown. The franchise recently released Stefon Diggs amid financial concerns and personal troubles. That has left a massive void at the position. Brown fits the profile of exactly what the Patriots need.

But Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is not making this easy for anyone.

“They [New England Patriots] have made an offer for AJ,” Anthony Gargano said on his show. “It’s around a (first-round pick) and a (third-round pick)…I’m not sure if the (first-round pick) is this year or next year, but I hear…Howie (Roseman) said no.”

Roseman is chasing something far bigger. His asking price resembles the blockbuster package the Cowboys surrendered to acquire Quinnen Williams from the Jets. That is the benchmark Roseman has reportedly set: a first-rounder, a second-rounder, and a player coming back to Philadelphia in return. 

For the Eagles, the urgency is real, and the window is narrow. The draft arrives in April, and trading Brown before then would give the Eagles the ability to use those picks in the upcoming draft.