The careers of A.J. Brown and Treylon Burks will forever be intertwined after the 2022 draft-day trade between the Eagles and Titans.
The Titans, reticent to pay Brown his desired rate at the time, sent the receiver to Philly and used the first-round pick from the swap to draft Burks at No. 18 overall.
The ripple effect of the trade continues. During a recent episode of Barstool's Pardon My Take, Brown was asked about the effects of the trade on both players. The veteran voiced pity for how things have gone for Burks.
"I'm grateful that happened. I outgrew that situation at Tennessee," Brown said, via The Tennessean. "I'm glad this happened, because I felt like I was meant to shine. We needed a big team with a big market, and I think this is the right place and the best fit for me. I am a little sad for Treylon Burks. I wish he could get healthy, because he is a good kid. I talk to him numerous times; I've got his number. And it sucks to see it go down like that."
The trade will go down as one of the most lopsided in recent memory. The Eagles landed a playmaker who has put up over 1,000 yards in every season he's been with the club and helped propel them to two Super Bowls, including this year's championship.
Burks, on the other hand, caught a total of 53 passes for 699 yards and one touchdown in three seasons. Beset by constant injuries, he played in just 27 total games, including five in 2024, and was waived by the club with an injury designation this offseason after a fractured collarbone during training camp; Burks later reverted to Tennessee's injured reserve.
Ex-Titans general manager Jon Robinson has gone on the record saying he wished he could have a mulligan for the Brown trade.
The entire 2022 draft for Robinson looks rough: Burks, Roger McCreary (second round), Nicholas Petit-Frere (third), Malik Willis (third), Hassan Haskins (fourth), Chigoziem Okonkwo (fourth), Kyle Philips (fifth), Theo Jackson (sixth), Chance Campbell (sixth). Only McCreary and Okonkwo remain in Tennessee.
