Chargers Could Be Team to Watch for Blockbuster A.J. Brown Trade With Eagles

The Los Angeles Chargers are undergoing a massive change on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. The team moved on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman following a disastrous showing by the offense in the wildcard round of the playoffs against the New England Patriots.

The Chargers hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to replace Greg Roman and shepherd in a new style and era of offense for the Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert. McDaniel has made it clear that he adapts his offense to the players he has available. With Jim Harbaugh entering year three at the helm and McDaniel possibly being a short-term solution on offense, will the Chargers be aggressive in making more players available to the offense in 2026?

Chargers wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal was prominently front and center at the NFL combine observing drills. The general consensus around the Chargers has been that their room has enough to compete with the right play caller. Lal's presence and interaction at the combine raised the question, are the Chargers possibly in the market to add another weapon to wide receiver room?

The Chargers had one receiver who ranked in the top 20 of ESPN's open scores in 2025. Ladd McConkey came in at 12th on the list that factors in the receiver's separation just before the release of the pass, regardless if they are targeted or not. The next Chargers receiver to appear on the list was veteran free agent Keenan Allen at 37th.

The Denver Broncos were the only team that made it to championship weekend without a single receiver in the top 20 of open scores. The Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams both had two receivers in the top 20 and the New England Patriots had three. With the Chargers chasing the ultimate goal of competing for a Super Bowl, do they need another winning wide receiver and do they need one now?

NBC's Mike Florio mentioned that the Eagles could be making a decision on wide receiver AJ Brown soon. Brown has been asking for a trade out of Philadelphia going back to last season. The decision may be made soon, prior to the start of free agency.

Florio mentions that the believed compensation would start with a second-round pick but could get higher if multiple teams start bidding. He also mentions four teams to watch which include the Patriots, Bills, Ravens and Chargers.

Why AJ Brown to the Chargers is not a crazy idea

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown — Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Chargers are in a win-now mode. The franchise is in year three of Jim Harbaugh's tenure and have been to the playoffs two years in a row under his leadership. Both trips to the playoffs have yielded quick exits from the wildcard round.

The Chargers have enough cap space to make a few major moves despite having so many internal free agents. The Chargers could fit AJ Brown and his contract into Los Angeles' plans.

The Chargers have Ladd McConkey as the only proven winning wide receiver on the roster. Quentin Johnston is the next closest receiver in terms of ranking of ESPN's open scores and he is tied for 50th. AJ Brown, despite a down year of production in 2025, was still 9th in the NFL on ESPN's open scores amongst wide receivers, just ahead of McConkey.

If the Chargers somehow land AJ Brown, they would immediately have two wide receivers who are the best in the NFL at getting open, something the top teams in the NFL appear to have deep into January.