Eagles' Potential Cost to Trade AJ Brown Revealed

First and foremost, the Philadelphia Eagles arguaby shouldn't trade AJ Brown.

There's no denying the fact that there was a lot of drama around Brown and the franchise as a whole in 2025. But the Eagles have an exciting, new offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion and he should jumpstart the team's offense.

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There have been endless trade rumors around Brown. If the issue is based on relationships within the franchise, you can work on those things. There aren't many players in the league in general with the talent that Brown has. If you trade Brown, for draft picks, you would be essentially getting a lottery ticket hoping you can find another player with the potential Brown already has.

The Eagles shouldn't trade AJ Brown

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrates first down against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

His future has been the talk of Super Bowl Week. On the bright side, his teammate, Brandon Graham, thinks he's sticking around. But the rumors are loud. So much so that ESPN's Adam Schefter appeared on 97.5 The Fanatic noted that he expects that the Eagles would want at least a first-round pick for Brown if they considered a deal.

"I think teams are going to be motivated," Schefter said. "Everyone's going to be motivated to upgrade their roster, so what's the best way to do that if you can't do it in free agency? You're going to be more anxious to do it in a trade, but you know if you're trading AJ Brown I don't know what the return would be on an A.J. Brown trade. I mean I personally think the Eagles would want a one if they even entertained it. I don't know if they will. At least a one."

Earlier in the week, Dianna Russini of The Athletic spoke to PHLY Sports said that she thinks the Eagles would get a second-rounder for Brown.

"I have a feeling it's going to resolve itself by AJ no longer being in Philly," Russini said. "That's where I think it's going to head. I don't know that for a fact yet and I wouldn't be surprised if they move him to a team like New England, a team that's playing in the Super Bowl. ... I was poking around on it before the trade deadline, just in case they did it. [I think] they get a second-rounder."

So, one of the top insiders in the NFL thinks the Eagles will search for a first-rounder. Another top insider thinks they won't get more than a second-rounder.

Again, the Eagles shouldn't trade Brown. If the team opts to listen, it shouldn't be for anything less than a first-round pick-plus. Brown already has a long-term deal and is just 28 years old. This guy is a game-changer. You don't let players like that go just because of a bit of drama unless you simply cannot turn down an offer.

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