Eagles Entering World Without A.J. Brown In Week 8, Maybe Not For Last Time

The Philadelphia Eagles will be without their star receiver against the New York Giants, but could there be more missed games in his future with the trade deadline looming?

Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) waves to the fans after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles will visit a world without A.J. Brown on Sunday. It’s not their first trip there.

The receiver missed three straight games last year with a hamstring injury, which is the same injury that will have him watch from the sidelines when the Eagles try to avenge a loss to the New York Giants 17 days ago when they play on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles went 1-2 in those games that Brown missed in 2024. He had six catches for 80 yards in the first meeting this season against New York.

“Everyone’s going to have to study a little harder, and guys are going to be moving around in different spots,” said DeVonta Smith, coming off a career-high in yards with 183 against the Vikings last week. Against the Giants on Oct. 9, he had four catches for 49 yards.

With the trade deadline looming on Nov. 4, the question is whether Brown will still be on the team when the Eagles take the field again at Lambeau Field against the Packers on Monday Night Football, Nov. 10.

Seemingly every week, there is a report about the possibility of the Eagles trading Brown. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini has a social media post on Saturday mentioning it. Here is her tweet.

The Eagles will insist everything is fine with star receiver A.J. Brown, but many around the league can see it plainly on tape.

If the star wideout continues to seem miserable leading up to the trade deadline, does something have to change?https://t.co/6oUQniX8Wc pic.twitter.com/Gw1IppY8IK

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 25, 2025

Inside the locker room, the players sing a different tune.

“He means a lot,” said Smith. “He doesn’t say much. But when he does, guys listen to it. It’s just the way he carries himself. He works, and the demands he puts on himself. Everyone sees that. Everyone knows where his heart is.”

Brown has talked repeatedly about the offense being on the same page, and he’s not wrong. In fact, every player on the offensive side of the ball agrees. On Oct. 1, when he put out the first of a few cryptic tweets over the last couple of weeks, he was asked what his teammates’ reaction was to a tweet.

“It’s normal in here,” said Brown. “I don’t know if they’re putting on a façade, but I think I’m still cool in here.”

The Eagles aren’t in the habit of trading away their best players, especially one who entered the season on a Hall of Fame trajectory, so it’s not very likely that Brown will be dealt.

Russini caught up with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie at the recent NFL owners’ meetings, asking him what he would do if Brown knocked on his door and asked to be traded.

This is what Lurie said: “We do what’s best for the team. We don’t even consider it seriously unless it’s best for the Eagles. We will always do what gives us the best chance of winning big. Everything else is secondary.”

If that team knocking on his door offers a first-round pick next year, well, that might require some thought.

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