Nick Wright Pitches Bold New Home for Eagles’ AJ Brown

Whether the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl, or get knocked out early in the playoffs, they are always going to be talked about in the trade market.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has shown over the years that he's not afraid to get a deal done, even if it stings in the short term or comes out of nowhere. Roseman is one of the most aggressive general managers in football for a reason and the team has had success in large part because of the aggression.

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This offseason, the spotlight has been on AJ Brown. That was the case before the 2025 trade deadline and still is now. All offseason to this point, Brown has been talked about in rumors left and right. He seemingly quieted the noise and said that Philadelphia is his home and he's excited for the new offense, but it hasn't stopped people from talking.

Will AJ Brown be on the move?

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) can't make catch during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Nick Wright of FOX Sports, for example, spoke about Brown's future on "First Things First" amid all of the trade rumors. The New England Patriots have been a popular team linked to Brown, but he made the case for the Buffalo Bills as a better option for Philadelphia to maximize its return if it considers a deal.

"First of all, trading him, he's $23 million on your cap to play for you," Wright said. "He's $43 million if you trade him. Not trade for him, I'm saying for Philly. Which means if I'm Howie Roseman, the table stakes are at least a first-round pick. But you guys [the New England Patriots] have a late first-round pick. It's not a top-10 pick; no one's trading that for AJ Brown. But a good team trading a first-round pick is what I think would get Philly interested. New England is going to come up. I would imagine Buffalo is going to come up. And I would imagine ... I was thinking Houston. I don't think him and [Nico Collins] are too duplicative. I think they could play alongside each other. ... I think those teams, I also wonder if they would trade within the conference if the 49ers [called]. ...

"There is a scorpion and the frog component to getting in business with AJ Brown. He has been highly productive and prolific statistically in both of his NFL stops and worn out his welcome in both of his NFL stops. I don't put [the Patriots] in desperate mode. I think Buffalo is kind of desperate. So, to me, they make more sense."

The Patriots have been the team most linked to Brown in the early rumors with the Bills not as much. It certainly would be a bold statement by a team that hasn't lived up to playoff expectations to pair a former MVP with Brown.

In a perfect world, the Eagles just roll with Brown for the 2026 season and all of the rumors are meaningless. It's tough to find a top-five receiver. Arguably, the team should try to find a way to make it work because the talent outweighs the drama.

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