The Philadelphia Eagles have spent the offseason trying to find players who can replace some of their top guys who left in free agency. The Eagles have unfortunately lost multiple players, but it isn't something that the organization can deal with now. The salary cap is the salary cap, and the Eagles, unfortunately, had to let multiple players walk due to it.
On top of that, the Eagles have had to deal with the possibility of moving on from AJ Brown, as many view him as a trade candidate this offseason. It remains uncertain if the Eagles are going to get rid of him, but it seems like the better plan as of now.
When Brown signed his deal, the contract actually seemed like one of the better ones in the NFL. Howie Roseman has done a very good job of keeping players on decent deals, and it seemed like that was one of them. However, with all the drama he's created in recent years, some believe that contract is an issue.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes that's the biggest issue on the books right now.
“Jordan Davis is certainly overpaid based on his position and production, but that contract is friendly in the short term and he has room to grow. So instead we're calling out Brown, who signed a three-year, $96 million extension two years ago and has not matched his earlier peak production since. He barely reached 1,000 yards in 2025 and has a top-10 AAV and cap hit entering 2026. Throw in the tension surrounding his situation within the organization, and this is a no-brainer,” Gagnon wrote.
Brown’s 2025 season, when he struggled a tad and also wasn't the best teammate, has faced a lot of criticism. It's tough to say what goes on behind the scenes, as we will never know, but if he stays in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future, the Eagles obviously need him to be better on and off the field.
If he continues to be somewhat of a headache on and off the field, that's where the contract becomes an even bigger issue due to the Eagles likely not being able to trade it for what they're looking for.
Brown will give the Eagles an opportunity to get a decent return, but he needs to play well and have his head on straight with a different team for any other squad to make a trade.