The Philadelphia Eagles got fair value in their trade of A.J. Brown that many feel they did not get from the former second-team All-Pro receiver on the field.
Brown's status around the league continued to crater, since the now-former Eagles wideout landed at No. 80 on the NFL's top-100 player list for 2026.
Brown, who the Eagles traded to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round draft pick and 2027 fifth-round pick, had a noisy final season in Philadelphia.
But he still had 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 receptions despite playing for a substandard offense run by since-fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
A.J. Brown was Ranked No. 80 on the NFL's top-100 Players List
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Brown was a top-30 player in his penultimate campaign with the Eagles, even though he had fewer catches (67) and the same number of receiving TDs (7) as in 2025.
But Brown's perceived stock dropped amid trade rumors and offensive struggles, especially after he had just three catches for 25 yards in the the Eagles' flameout in the wild-card round to the San Francisco 49ers.
"Brown's final season in Philadelphia featured more noise off the field than on it, but that doesn't mean he wasn't still terrific between the lines," Grant Gordon of NFL.com wrote Tuesday. "The new Patriots No. 1 WR was also the Eagles' top receiver in 2025, leading Philly in targets (121) and catches, while recording his third straight year with seven touchdown catches and his fourth in a row with more than 1,000 yards."
The Eagles may Still Miss A.J. Brown in 2026
(Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
Brown struggled with continuity with Jalen Hurts, with a reported feud between the duo last year that may have also led to his exit from Philly.
Still, the Eagles will probably miss Brown's production, even though they will enjoy having his wonky cap hit off their books.
"This wasn't Brown's best campaign, hence his drop in the Top 100," Gordon wrote. "But even through the struggles of '25, the physical wideout proved he's among the best in the game."
First-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's scheme is likely to set Hurts up under center more, which could mean a huge year for running back Saquon Barkley and potentially for tight end Dallas Goedert again.
But Eagles fans, who are famously finnicky, are poised to their beloved Birds replace Brown with rookie Makai Lemon.
Lemon, the Eagles' first-round pick in April who won the Biletnikoff Award last fall while playing at USC, may be quieter than Brown. But there may have growing pains in what stands to be a huge year for Hurts and the Philadelphia offense.
