How Chargers Could Steal A.J. Brown for Justin Herbert With This Trade Idea

The Los Angeles Chargers have sort of been overlooked thus far in terms of teams that could take a jump in 2026. While they've been successful the last two years under Jim Harbaugh, the road ended both times in the Wild Card round. Most of the problems could be pointed to the offense, as they failed to step up to the challenge.

The noise surrounding Justin Herbert keeps getting louder, as the Chargers' star quarterback is now 0-3 in playoff games. He didn't play particularly well in this year's Wild Card game, either. While Herbert will receive the brunt of criticism, it's a collective effort as to how they reached this point.

Harbaugh hit the reset button, firing Greg Roman and hiring Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. McDaniel should help the Bolts get back to being an explosive, high-powered passing offense. This should be music to Herbert's ears, but there's still work to be done. The Chargers desperately need another weapon in order to reach their ceiling.

Enter A.J. Brown, who many believe could be traded this offseason after a frustrating year with the Philadelphia Eagles. It's not a sure thing that Brown will be dealt, but if he's made available, the Chargers should be among the teams interested.

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports devised a mock trade for the Chargers to acquire Brown's services.

A.J Brown to Chargers trade idea would be a steal

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

Here's a breakdown of the trade that Sullivan put together:

Chargers receive: WR A.J. Brown, 2027 seventh-round pick
Eagles receive: 2026 third-round pick (No. 86 overall), 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 203 overall)

The only downside of this trade is that the Chargers would be left with just three draft picks for 2026. Still, it may be worth it to acquire a talent such as Brown's.

"A key reason for the Chargers' downfall in 2025 was simply due to both of their tackles going down," Sullivan wrote. "Well, both Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt should be back healthy for 2026, which will give Justin Herbert more time to throw the football. When he does, he'll likely need another top weapon at his disposal. Ladd McConkey took a step back from his sensational rookie season, but is still a solid option in the passing game. However, Keenan Allen, who turns 34 in April, led the team with 122 targets throughout the year. Putting a talent like Brown in this mix with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel pulling the strings could be just what Herbert and the unit need to go to the next level."

Brown's scored seven touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, while also eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark every year except for one. McDaniel would certainly know how to utilize Brown's strengths and take this Chargers offense to the next level.

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