Eagles Open to Future 1st in Potential AJ Brown Trade

The free agency market opened up on Monday, but the Philadelphia Eagles were not among the first teams to make a major splash.

Philadelphia tried. Reports surfaced as recently as Sunday night that the Eagles were attempting to get a deal done with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to keep him in town for the 2026 season and beyond. Unfortunately, things didn't work out in the Eagles' favor. Phillips reportedly ended up landing a massive $120 million deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency. The deal cannot be made official until the new league year, but the Eagles need to go back to the drawing board.

The Eagles star got a bit of an update

Nov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) reacts after making a catch against Detroit Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (23) during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Eagles also reportedly lost Jahan Dotson in free agency to the Atlanta Falcons. On the bright side, the Eagles are keeping cornerback Michael Carter II on a renegotiated deal. It was a rollercoaster of an afternoon on Monday and one guy who remains with the franchise is AJ Brown, who has been in trade rumors for weeks at this point. While deals in free agency were popping up all over the place, NFL insider Josina Anderson did drop a bit of an update and noted that the Eagles may be willing to accept a deal centered around a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick, rather than a first-rounder in 2026.

"At some point in discussions, a league source conveyed to me Monday the belief that the Eagles may be okay with a 2027 1st round pick [and] a 2026 2nd round pick for WR AJ Brown," Anderson wrote. "When, I asked sources why Philly may* be okay with deferring the 1st-round ask to next year, one source told me, '(The Eagles) already have [four] top 100 picks this year. Easier for the other team to give their 1st-round pick next year, than this year.'

"Another source said some may believe 'next year's draft class is stronger.' So far, Patriots have had a hard time giving up a first, per source. Not clear if that sentiment pertains to both 2026 and 2027, just yet. That's the latest I've heard from sources on trade talk talking points as of yesterday."

This aligns with much of what has been out there around the Eagles, Patriots and Brown. The big thing to watch from this update is the idea of reportedly being open to a first-round pick next year, rather than in 2026.

Another variable to take into account is wide receiver Alec Pierce. He was linked to New England, but stayed with the Indianapolis Colts. EJ Smith of PHLY Sports reported that interest in Pierce is part of the reason talks "stalled out" around Brown.

"AJ Brown trade talks stalled out with the New England Patriots going into today in part because of the options New England had in free agency," Smith wrote. "Pierce staying in Indy should give the Eagles even more leverage with the Pats in those talks.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo shared on Sunday that the Eagles were getting "creative" in talks around Brown. So much has been said about the superstar playmaker to this point. This is yet another update about the large reported asking price for him. But it doesn't mean that Philadelphia is closer to dealing him than before.