Everyone has been talking about A.J. Brown this offseason, except for A.J. Brown
By John Breech Apr 16, 2026 at 3:17 pm ET • 2 min read 
Getty Images If there's one player in the NFL who's definitely not afraid to speak his mind, it's A.J. Brown. During the 2025 season, the Philadelphia Eagles receiver complained multiple times about his role with the team. At one point in November, he referred to the 2025 seasons as a "sh-t show" for the Eagles.
Although Brown has been notoriously outspoken at times, he has been unusally quiet this offseason. When a player wants out, they'll sometimes make a very public trade demand and we've already seen that happen over the past few weeks, most recently with Dexter Lawrence and the Giants. That hasn't happened with Brown, though. With trade speculation swirling, Brown has kept his thoughts to himself and there might actually be a good reason for that.
CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones talked to multiple sources about the Brown situation and they pointed out something very interesting that might explain why the receiver has been unusually silent about his situation.
From Jones, "What sources have pointed out to me is that Brown has done nothing publicly to try to punch his way out of Philly, and those sources have theorized that Brown may have an understanding that a deal will take place at some point in the summer. Making a public stink does not help his position."
Brown might also just be taking his own advice. After a Week 4 win over the Buccaneers, a game where Brown caught just two passes for seven yards, he shared a bible verse (Mark 6:11) on social media.
"If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way."
That seems to be what he's doing now.
If the Eagles are eventually going to trade Brown, you might be wondering why they wouldn't just do it before the draft, but there's actually a good explanation for that. From a salary cap standpoint, it really doesn't make any sense to trade him until after June 1.
The Eagles would take a dead cap hit of $43.4 million if they traded Brown before June 1, according to Over the Cap, but that number would drop to $16.4 million if they trade him after June 1. That's a substantial difference and it sets things up for Brown to be traded later this year.
"At this point it would be a surprise if Brown is not on a new team by the start of training camp," Jones wrote.
Although Howie Roseman has been insisting all offseason that "A.J. Brown is an Eagle," the team appears to be preparing for life without him. The Eagles signed two receivers this offseason -- Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore -- and they also added Dontayvion Wicks last week after making a deal with the Packers. That's three receivers in six weeks. With those additions, the Eagles have put themselves in a spot where they would have more than enough depth on the roster to withstand the potential loss of Brown.
If Brown does get traded, the Patriots still seem to be the front-runner to get a deal done with the Eagles, according to Jones. If Brown gets shipped off to New England, it would reunite him with both Mike Vrabel, who served as his head coach for three seasons in Tennessee. It would also reunite him with new Patriots safety Kevin Byard, who has made it VERY clear that he would like to see Brown get dealt to New England.
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