Five Players Who Could Be Traded Next Following A.J. Brown, Myles Garrett Moves

The long-awaited A.J. Brown-to-the-Patriots trade became official on Monday, as the Eagles sent the 28-year-old wide receiver to New England in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The move reunites Brown with coach Mike Vrabel and gives quarterback Drake Maye a tried-and-true No. 1 wide receiver, while also ridding Philadelphia of a polarizing player who was seemingly unhappy with his role in the team’s offense over the past several seasons.

While the Brown-to-New England deal has long been in the making, the two sides waited until after June 1 to finalize the move due to salary cap implications. If the Eagles had traded Brown before June 1, they would have carried his entire $43 million dead-cap hit in 2026 while also adding roughly $20 million to their active cap. Now, however, they can split the dead-cap hit, with just $16.4 million accelerating onto their 2026 books and the remaining $27.1 million being pushed to ’27. It also saves them $7 million on the active cap this season.

Similarly, the Browns kicked off the week by trading star defensive end Myles Garrett to the Rams in a move that sends pass rusher Jared Verse and a handful of picks—including a 2027 first-rounder—back to Cleveland. Garrett signed an amended contract with the Browns this offseason that, as reported by ESPN’s Field Yates, “provid[ed] some cap flexibility for the team going forward.” This ultimately stoked the fire on the endless trade rumors surrounding the two-time (and reigning) Defensive Player of the Year, and while general manager Andrew Berry had staunchly shut down the idea, trading Garrett after June 1 creates additional cap space for Cleveland this coming season. As outlined by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the trade would send Garrett’s 2026 salary and option bonus with him to Los Angeles, leaving only his bonus proration of $15.5 million on the Browns’ books.

With trade winds back in motion as we enter the summer months, here are five more players that—contract-related or not—could potentially be moved prior to the start of the season.

Brandon Aiyuk, wide receiver, 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk has played in just seven games since signing a massive, four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers in 2024—hauling in 25 receptions for 374 yards before seeing his season cut short due to a knee injury. The former first-round pick subsequently missed the entire 2025 campaign and saw San Francisco void his guaranteed money after he reportedly failed to show up to meetings and other team activities.

General manager John Lynch has since said that he believes Aiyuk has “played his last snap with the 49ers,” and also recently insinuated that he’s available for trade. “Give us a call,” he told reporters back in April while relaying that he doesn’t have an update on the wide receiver.

Given quite a lack of leverage, San Francisco will likely be waited out by teams looking to take a chance on Aiyuk, which includes the Commanders, who reportedly have “significant interest” in signing him should he be released. Aiyuk and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels were teammates at Arizona State in 2019.

Alvin Kamara, running back, Saints

The Saints are in line to have one of the league’s top 1–2 punches at running back this season after adding Travis Etienne Jr. to a room already led by Alvin Kamara. That said, they could also choose to trade the five-time Pro Bowler, who is entering the final year of his contract and carries with him a $10.4 million cap hit in 2026.

Kamara is coming off a year where he notched career lows across the board, tallying just 471 rushing yards, 3.6 yards per carry, 33 receptions, 186 receiving yards and one total touchdown. Is there more left in the tank as he enters his age-31 season? Perhaps. But trading him after June 1 would allow New Orleans to spread Kamara’s dead-cap hit of $15.2 million over the next two seasons while saving them $3.4 million in 2026. It’s a potentially enticing move for a team looking toward the future.

Anthony Richardson Sr., quarterback, Colts

After losing an open competition to Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting quarterback job last offseason, Anthony Richardson Sr. spent the beginning of the 2026 campaign on the bench, and the latter half dealing with an orbital bone fracture he suffered during pregame warmups in October.

The 2024 No. 4 pick has since requested a trade out of Indianapolis, but with no deal coming to fruition, reported to the team’s offseason workouts last week.

“I was still on this team before the trade stuff,” Richardson said when asked if it’s strange to be practicing with the team that he requested a trade from. “I’ve got an obligation to this team to come out here and play and perform, be ready to play if they need me. I don’t think it’s weird or awkward.”

At just 23 years old, Richardson could be an intriguing reclamation project for a coach or club looking for a spark at quarterback. We outlined three potential trade destinations for him earlier this offseason, but plenty more could arise as we head into the summer months leading into training camp.

Josh Sweat, edge, Cardinals

Josh Sweat signed a four-year, $76 million contract with the Cardinals last offseason after playing a key role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX championship. The now-29-year-old tallied a career-high 12 sacks and four forced fumbles for Arizona’s defense in 2025, while also seeing them finish a measly 3–14—not only last in the NFC West standings but well behind three true Super Bowl contenders.

The Cardinals have reportedly received trade calls on Sweat this spring, and he’s been absent from the team’s offseason workouts thus far under new head coach Mike LaFleur. Arizona paid Sweat a $7.2 million option this past March, but a post–June 1 trade would leave the club with just a $5.5 million dead-cap hit in 2026, save them nearly $11 million on their active cap and push $16.5 million to ’27.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, edge, Giants

The Giants have quite the crowded edge rusher room heading into 2026, with three former first-round picks in Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter all vying for playing time. As for Thibodeaux specifically, new head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that he’s excited about how he’ll contribute to New York’s defense, while also acknowledging that “everybody’s tradeable.”

Should the Giants look to move one of their talented defensive linemen, Thibodeaux would make the most sense as he’s entering the final year of his contract and is due $14.7 million on his fifth-year option. The 25-year-old has tallied 23.5 sacks and six forced fumbles throughout his four-year career.

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