AJ Brown’s Eagles future hangs in the balance as mounting doubts about his play collide with harsh contract realities.QQ
Wide receiver is playing at the worst level of his NFL career, and the Eagles may revisit the topic in the offseason.
NThe AJ Brown trade back in 2022 was transformative for the Philadelphia Eagles. The star wide receiver helped consolidate Jalen Hurts as a viable franchise quarterback and was a key part of the Super Bowl team last season. But 2025 has been a tough year for the receiver, and for the Eagles’ passing offense in general.
Like never before, there have been rumors about Brown’s future in Philly. Fans might not want to hear it, but general manager Howie Roseman is always looking at all of his possibilities. And moving on from AJ Brown next offseason shouldn’t be completely off the table.
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AJ Brown’s contract situation with the Eagles
Brown signed a three-year extension with the Eagles last year, so it’s unrealistic for them to release him — and, all things considered, Roseman wouldn’t do it anyway. The dead money would be $72.4 million, which could be split in two years with a post-June 1 designation.
But a trade makes the situation more palatable. If AJ Brown were traded before June next year, the dead money would be $43.4 million. The team would lose $20.055 million in cap space, so you could think this is certainly a bad deal. However, the trade would clear up $22.672 million in 2027, $27.555 million in 2028, $29.307 million in 2029, and, wait for it, $53.52 million in 2030, which is a void year for his contract.
Because of age and contract, Brown isn’t as valuable now as he was when the Eagles acquired him from the Tennessee Titans. Nevertheless, the veteran receiver is slated to make a reasonable $21 million next season, $21 million in 2027, $32 million in 2028, and $31 million in 2029. His 2026 compensation is fully guaranteed by now, but there are only $4 million becoming fully-guaranteed for 2027 on the third league day of 2026.
That means the Eagles could still generate, let’s say, a Day 2 pick in return. The combination of extra draft capital, extra cap space, and more targets to Devonta Smith doesn’t sound like such a crazy plan.
Performance
Be it for circumstances or because of his individual play, AJ Brown has regressed. At 28, he’s had 38 receptions for 457 yards and three touchdowns so far this season.
Going beyond to analyze the advanced stats, Brown has had a career low 1.59 yards per route run, career low 96.9 passer rating when targeted, and 11.9 in average depth of target (second worst number of his career).
Brown is definitely not as dominating as he once was. Used to be automatic on go-balls but he’s getting locked up at times. At this stage, he could still be productive on other routes but QB limits what he could do.
The Eagles are obviously competing for a Super Bowl this year, so this is a conversation that will only take place later on. But AJ Brown must have this understanding, because the next seven games and whatever he does in the playoffs will likely determine his future as an Eagle.
