If the Philadelphia Eagles trade A.J. Brown, they believe Devonta Smith could replicate what Jaxon Smith-Njigba did for the Seattle Seahawks last season.
According to Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice, some members of the Philadelphia Eagles believe trading A.J. Brown could spark a Jaxon Smith-Njigba-style breakout for Devonta Smith.
The Seattle Seahawks traded D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Smith-Njigba went off last season as the No. 1 option.
"There are some within the Eagles' organization who believe that if Brown were no longer with the team that Smith can have a similar jump in production that Jaxon Smith-Njigba had in Seattle once DK Metcalf was out of the way," Kempski wrote.
Smith had 77 receptions for 1,008 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in 2025. The four TD receptions were a career low.
The Eagles selected Smith with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The talented playmaker helped Philadelphia beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Philadelphia lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round of the 2026 NFL playoffs. Smith had eight catches for 70 receiving yards in the Eagles-49ers game.
The Eagles' new OC is Sean Mannion. He's replacing Kevin Patullo, who was fired after just one season as OC.
The Eagles haven't been highly incentivized to move Brown right now because of money. A trade before June 1 would come with a 2026 cap hit of over $40 million, compared to less than $20 million if he's dealt after that date.
Brown and the Eagles agreed to a three-year, $96 million extension in April 2024. The Super Bowl champion has no guaranteed money on his current deal after 2026.
Brown had 78 catches for 1,003 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns last season. He and QB Jalen Hurts weren't on the same page and multiple reports have stated that the two stars are no longer close.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Brown has been with the Eagles since 2022. He has 339 receptions for 5,034 receiving yards and 32 receiving touchdowns in a Philadelphia uniform
Most people who cover the NFL expect the Eagles to trade Brown to the New England Patriots in June. If that happens, it will be fascinating to see if Smith can put up superstar numbers next season.
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