The rumor mill is always churning around the NFL, with a new story of some significance dropping almost daily. But one particular piece of theoretical news has intrigued fans for weeks, months and at this point, even a couple of years.
Will the Eagles trade wide receiver A.J. Brown? And if they do, where will he land?
When asked about the rumors at the Annual League Meeting last week, Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni reiterated that “Nothing’s changed there. A.J.’s an Eagle.” General manager Howie Roseman repeated a version of that refrain. Candidly, these sentiments are simple observations, not answers about Brown's long-term status. So, until something actually happens, we are left with little but (informed) speculation.
As for what that speculation suggests, I've listed six teams below that seem best positioned to win the A.J. Brown sweepstakes, along with potential packages that would make sense to send to Philadelphia in return. Notably, trading Brown before June 1 would come with a significant dead-money hit for the Eagles in 2026 -- $43.4 million, versus just $16.4 million if he's dealt after June 1, per Over The Cap. So it might behoove Philly to wait. That said, given where we are in the offseason cycle, we’ll approach the move from a pre-draft perspective, weighing potential scenarios that might compel the Eagles to cash Brown in for picks that can be used this April.
Patriots receive:
- WR A.J. Brown
- 2026 6th-round pick (No. 197 overall)
Eagles receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 31)
- 2026 4th-round pick (No. 125)
- WR Kayshon Boutte
The Patriots have figured as a potential landing spot for Brown all offseason, and it makes a lot of sense. Drake Maye led New England to the Super Bowl with Stefon Diggs narrowly cresting 1,000 yards and no other wide receiver reaching 600 on the season. More concerning was that no wideout totaled 200 yards across New England's four-game playoff run, with Diggs putting up 110 yards in the postseason. This offseason, the team released Diggs and signed Romeo Doubs, whose career high is a mere 724 receiving yards in a season -- meaning the Patriots are once again set to field one of the barest, lowest-upside receiver rooms in the entire league.
Brown would step into New England as the clear-cut No. 1 and he'd probably be franchise's most legitimate “X” receiver since Randy Moss nearly two decades ago. Brown is also an excellent fit for Maye’s arm and the Patriots' downfield offense. Since coming into the league in 2019, he's registered 22 deep touchdowns, the third-most in the league in that span, and his 101.7 receiving EPA on deep targets ranks fourth-highest, according to Next Gen Stats. Speaking of his draft selection, the head coach who landed Brown early in the second round in Tennessee back then was Mike Vrabel. A Brown-Vrabel reunion checks a lot of boxes, as long as the teams can come to an agreement on compensation.
P.S. The recent news that the Eagles and Patriots will hold joint training camp practices in Foxborough makes this all the more intriguing.
Chargers receive:
- WR A.J. Brown
- 2027 4th-round pick
Eagles receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 22)
- WR Quentin Johnston
The Chargers approach the table with a stronger receiver room than the Patriots already in place. They’ve taken a wideout in the top 55 picks in each of the last three drafts, and Tre Harris (No. 55 overall in 2025), Ladd McConkey (No. 34 in 2024) and Quentin Johnston (No. 21 in 2023) theoretically comprise a better starting trio than that put forth by a sizable chunk of other teams around the NFL. However, not one of those players was consistently excellent last season, and Los Angeles finished the 2025 campaign without a single player surpassing 800 receiving yards, while veteran Keenan Allen -- currently unsigned -- led the way in receptions, with 81. Johnston is also entering the final year of his rookie deal, and the front office must decide by May 1 whether or not to exercise his $18 million fifth-year option for 2027.
Brown is a solid fit for new OC Mike McDaniel’s offense, which has historically thrived on in-breaking routes. Brown logged the sixth-most receiving yards over expected on such routes last season, per NGS. Also, under McDaniel in 2025, the Dolphins accumulated 57.6 percent of their passing yards after the catch (third-most in the NFL) -- another dangerous aspect of Brown's game. He would be a threat at every level for Justin Herbert -- opening the offense up like it was early in the QB’s career -- and give the front office the freedom to offload Johnston. It doesn’t hurt that the Chargers currently have the third-most salary cap space in the league, giving them the leeway to pick up the veteran receiver's sizeable salary.
Bills receive:
- WR A.J. Brown
Eagles receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 26)
- 2027 2nd-round pick
On the one hand, you could theorize that Buffalo’s trade for DJ Moore would take the team off the market for another top-tier wideout. On the other, you could take the move as a sign of the Bills' commitment to optimizing Josh Allen in 2026 and beyond. In that scenario, it’s not all that hard to imagine forming an elite outside receiver duo to complement Khalil Shakir in the slot and James Cook in the backfield. With the addition of Brown, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better offense, at least on paper.
The Bills used 11 personnel at an above-average rate in 2025, despite rolling out Shakir, Keon Coleman and Josh Palmer as their top three wideouts. From 2020 to 2023, which were the most productive years of Allen's career with Stefon Diggs in tow, Buffalo used 11 personnel at the seventh-highest rate in the league. A passing attack led by Brown and Moore could ascend to the same stratosphere as the Bengals or Rams. Buffalo will need to surrender the 26th overall pick to make this happen, which would mean missing on a top-tier defensive piece or less costly rookie receiver. But if trading for Brown makes Joe Brady’s offense the most dangerous in the NFL, it might be worth it.
Titans receive:
- WR A.J. Brown
- 2026 5th-round pick (No. 178)
Eagles receive:
- 2026 2nd-round pick (No. 35)
- 2027 1st-round pick
The goal for GM Mike Borgonzi should be to find a catalyst for second-year QB Cam Ward, much like Stefon Diggs was for Josh Allen and A.J. Brown was for Jalen Hurts. Free-agent addition Wan'Dale Robinson is an excellent fit in Tennessee, but he's not a bona fide WR1. The Titans could find a solution in the draft, but that approach brings higher risk and potentially a longer timeline.
The one big wrinkle with the Titans, of course, is the fact that they drafted Brown back in 2019, and then traded him to the Eagles for first- and third-round picks in 2022. It would be a strange twist, but not entirely unprecedented. Deion Branch followed a similar path between the Patriots and Seahawks in the 2000s. The Titans also could be the best-suited team to take on Brown's contract, as they have the most salary-cap space right now ($63.2 million at the time this was posted). Tennessee’s position in the draft does make compensation interesting, as its only first-rounder is the fourth overall pick, but perhaps Philadelphia would be willing to push the desired first out to 2027 for a more lucrative overall return.
Raiders receive:
- WR A.J. Brown
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 23)
Eagles receive:
- Edge Maxx Crosby
- 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 67)
The Patriots need a WR1 for their third-year QB. The Titans need a WR1 for their second-year QB. Why not get a head start in Las Vegas and snag a WR1 for a rookie quarterback? Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza is mere weeks away from fulfilling his apparent destiny as the long-presumed No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, but his top wide receiver on arrival would be either Jalen Nailor, Tre Tucker or Jack Bech. Mendoza's No. 1 pass-catching option would technically be tight end Brock Bowers, but the rookie will have a tough time finding his footing in Year 1 without another strong receiver in the fold.
Keep in mind, Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league last season with a 35.8% target share as the focal point of new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense in Seattle. Should Brown make his way to Vegas this offseason, he would immediately step into top-tier volume in this receiver room -- something he’s frequently campaigned for in Philadelphia. In terms of compensation, the Eagles' top need -- according to NFL IQ -- is edge rusher. Maxx Crosby is still on the Raiders' roster after the trade with the Ravens fell through earlier this offseason. Crosby's trade value is a bit higher than Brown's, but Howie Roseman adding in a little extra pick compensation could turn this potential deal into one of the more mutually beneficial blockbusters in recent history.
Ravens receive:
- WR A.J. Brown
Eagles receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 14)
- 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 80)
Over the course of his career, Lamar Jackson has done most of his damage without a prototypical WR1. He’s had only one wideout post 90-plus receptions in a season (Marquise Brown in 2021), and just three posted 1,000-yard receiving seasons (Brown in '21 and Zay Flowers in '24 and '25). This offseason, the Ravens have brought in a new coaching staff (HC Jesse Minter and OC Declan Doyle) while losing tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar and fullback Patrick Ricard to free agency, so there could be more three-receiver sets in Baltimore in 2026. Both Flowers and Rashod Bateman are decently productive players, but they are better suited as WR2s behind a true “X” ... like A.J. Brown.
Daniel Jeremiah recently mocked Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson to the Ravens at No. 14 overall, but what if GM Eric DeCosta could land an already proven No. 1 with that same pick? Plus, Baltimore's first-rounder would be the highest selection Philly could bring in this year among my theoretical packages, giving Roseman and Co. their best shot at scoring a top edge rusher. Brown would be the best receiver Jackson has played with to date and upgrade the role played by DJ Moore role in Doyle's offense in Chicago.