Around nine months ago, A.J. Brown caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl 59, winning his first career title as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Not even a year later, he has become the subject of constant trade rumors.
Brown, the 28-year-old wide receiver with five 1,000-yard seasons to his name, hasn’t had a 2025 season up to his standards. Through seven games, he’s been fairly quiet, with Philadelphia struggling to find an offensive identity over the first stretch of its Super Bowl defense.
Along the way, Brown has made some head-scratching comments and social media posts that indicate he’s unhappy with his role in Philadelphia. Naturally, that has made him a heavily discussed player for the 2025 trade deadline — but would Howie Roseman and the Eagles actually move on from their offensive star?
Here’s what’s known about the chances of the Eagles trading A.J. Brown, and why the speculation has picked up throughout 2025.
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A.J. Brown trade rumors
As the trade deadline has approached, one of the best players rumored to potentially be on the move has been Brown, the Eagles’ WR1. There have been some conflicting reports on Brown — most suggest the Eagles will keep him as a top weapon for Jalen Hurts, even if a trade has been considered somewhat of a possibility.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Oct. 25 that the Eagles are “not expected” to trade Brown, although “teams are still eyeing” the receiver. Schefter also reported that the Eagles “would be willing to listen to any trade offer” but it would take a “blockbuster offer” for them to make the move.
Another report from The Athletic’s Diana Russini suggested that while the Eagles “continue to insist they have no plans to trade Brown,” executives around the league continue to believe there is a chance of a deal, even if it takes a lot of firepower.
NBC’s Mike Florio said on Oct. 29 that “when you look a little deeper, it sure looks like the Eagles are willing, if not eager, to get phone calls about A.J. Brown.”
“Something’s been going on there,” Florio said. “He’s a source of issues, whether he’s right or wrong, frustrations that he’s admitted to.”
It feels like the Eagles are shopping A.J. Brown without officially shopping A.J. Brown. pic.twitter.com/ssoS2Svi6N
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 29, 2025
Brown signed a $96 million extension in the 2024 offseason that keeps him under contract with the Eagles through the 2029 season; he’s voiced his commitment to the franchise on various occasions. Still, trade talks have surrounded him.
A Brown trade would appear unlikely, given the added drama it would bring to Philadelphia as a top NFC contender, disrupting a major portion of the team in the middle of the season. But it’s not far-fetched to consider Brown’s struggles and other antics becoming too much for the Eagles, with plenty of teams likely interested in the three-time All-Pro selection.
The Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers are among the squads that have been mentioned as trade fits for Brown.
MORE: Trade deadline deals that each playoff contender needs to make
Why would Eagles trade A.J. Brown?
There is a surprisingly growing list of reasons why it would make sense for the Eagles to trade Brown, especially to an AFC team where he wouldn’t haunt them often. For one, he has struggled to get involved in the 2025 offense after Kevin Patullo took over as offensive coordinator.
Through his first seven games of the season, Brown is averaging a career-low 56.4 yards per game. He’s had three games with under 30 yards, although his production picked up in Weeks 7 and 8. With many mouths to feed in Philadelphia’s offense and an offensive identity still being developed after a run-heavy 2024, Brown has not produced up to his elite averages.
He’s expressed frustrations with quiet outings multiple times already this season. Most recently, after Philadelphia’s Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings, he posted to Instagram with the caption, “Using me but not using me.” Brown had a season-high 121 yards in that game.
Brown also made a social media post after Week 4 quoting scripture that read: “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.” Afterwards, he told reporters that he let his frustrations “boil over,” but the post “truly wasn’t directed at anyone in the building.”
“The tweet wasn’t directed at anyone because I am listened to,” Brown said, per The Athletic. “Like I said, I have an open communication with my coaches. … I want that pressure, I put it on myself, and I work hard for it. And so, and that’s what the … misconstrued, whatever perspective.”
Brown sat out in Week 8 due to a hamstring injury, causing more trade speculation despite the wide receiver reportedly having a legitimate ailment that sidelined him from practice. Per Schefter, there is a “realistic chance” Brown would return from his injury by Week 10, following the Eagles’ bye week.
In that Week 8 game without Brown, Philadelphia scored a season-high 38 points against the New York Giants, with Devonta Smith totaling 84 yards and Barkley posting 150 yards and two touchdowns. That success without Brown only added fuel to the trade speculation.
Brown’s outspoken personality when it comes to getting the ball is also nothing new. There have been multiple points in his Eagles tenure where he’s sparked headlines for his social media posts or words — in fact, just days after winning the Super Bowl, he posted to Instagram that he “thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all,” but “it wasn’t,” detailing his desire to dominate games, something he hasn’t gotten to do as often in 2025.
In an Oct. 29 story from The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena, Brown described the feeling he loves of repeatedly “coming through for my team,” which is why “it’s frustrating at times” and “people really misunderstand me as a player.” He added that “obviously, I want to win. That’s the main goal. But I want to help.”
Away from pinging phones, away from all the red-alert headlines, A.J. Brown is at his locker.
There’s no need here to decode his social media posts or deduce what reports are true. He’s talking about what 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 matters to him. pic.twitter.com/kEy6GEpEwL
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 29, 2025
Brown has also said he wants to remain with the Eagles, despite his frustrations.
“This is home,” Brown said in early October, per The Athletic. “This is my home. Unfortunately, I did it to myself. I won’t even say unfortunately. I did it to myself. But this is my home. Man, I love it here. But you just see frustration because obviously we want to be great. Most definitely, I want to be great as well.”
After some dominant seasons in Philadelphia over the past few years, Brown hasn’t been as big of a piece for the Eagles to start 2025, something that’s clearly frustrated him. That’s where the trade rumors have originated, even with the Eagles chasing another potential NFC East title. Brown wants to be a major contributor, but the presence of Hurts, Barkley, Smith and Dallas Goedert has held him back from elite numbers on a weekly basis.
Still, it would reportedly take a massive offer for the Eagles to trade Brown, and for good reason. He’s among the most accomplished receivers in the NFL. Usually, that’s enough to shut down any trade rumours — but between his struggles in the new offense and indications that he’s unhappy with his role, the chances are higher than zero that Brown is traded before the deadline.
MORE: Best possible deadline deal for each NFL team
A.J. Brown-Jalen Hurts relationship
The relationship between Brown and his star quarterback, Jalen Hurts, has become a central topic to the wie receiver’s trade rumors, primarily because of Hurts and Brown being unable to connect as often on the field this season. In the past, the two were known friends. In more recent years, their relationship has become clouded a bit more, although Hurts and Brown have verbally committed to whatever helps the Eagles win.
When he spoke to the media about his vague social media post after Week 4, Brown said that he and Hurts are “always trying to just get better,” and in meetings, they’re “talking and talking through things,” per The Athletic.
“I trust my coaches,” Brown said. “I trust Jalen to get this thing figured out. We’re working towards it. We see it at times, it’s just inconsistent. It’s starting to be consistent. And that’s where the frustration comes.”
Asked about his relationship with Brown around that time, Hurts said “it’s good.”
“We share a great passion for this game and we’re focused on this week,” Hurts said, per The Athletic. “You try to play the game, you try to play the position, and you try to go out there and execute, and you approach it that way.”
Additionally, when each were asked about Brown’s social media posts, Hurts said, “I just keep my focus singularly on the collective.” Smith said, “It’s none of my business.”
In 2024, when Eagles legend Brandon Graham appeared on a Philadelphia radio show, he said that Brown and Hurts were friends but “things have changed.”
@bleacherreport Brandon Graham chimes in on Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown’s relationship 😬 (via SportsRadioWIP/X) #nfl #football #eagles #jalenhurts #ajbrown ♬ original sound – bleacherreport
Brown also previously said on a podcast, per The Athletic, that he and Hurts are “two alphas who want to be the best and demand greatness from each other and everyone around us.”
Because Brown’s pass-catching production depends on Hurts, the pair’s relationship has constantly been under the spotlight. At the very least, the close relationship between Hurts and Brown likely isn’t what it used to be, even if the two remain high-level performers and competitors on the field.
MORE: Get to know A.J. Brown’s family
A.J. Brown stats
Brown has led the Eagles in receiving ever season since joining the team in 2022. Right now, that would change; Devonta Smith’s 588 yards lead Philadelphia entering Week 9, although Brown did miss one game.
Brown is on-pace for his second-lowest receiving yards output, right around 903 yards. His 13.6 yards per catch would also be a career-low. In his last two games, Brown has picked up his pace though, with 80 yards against the Giants, then 121 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings.
His SECOND of the day‼️ pic.twitter.com/RjtUXV5kbt
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 19, 2025
Here’s a look at his full 2025 numbers:
| Games | Targets | Receptions | Yards | AVG | TDs |
| 7 | 51 | 29 | 395 | 13.6 | 3 |
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