ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported on December 17 that multiple league executives believe the Philadelphia Eagles could look to move wide receiver A.J. Brown, calling him the “most interesting” trade candidate expected to be available.
Brown is 28 years old and signed a three-year, $96 million extension in April that runs through the 2029 season. He is owed $50 million in cash over the next two years. From a cap standpoint, the Eagles would absorb a $20 million hit if Brown were traded before June 1, or a $13 million hit if the move occurred after June 1, creating $7 million in cap savings. Fowler noted that Philadelphia’s prior willingness to absorb major cap penalties, including the $33.8 million charge taken to trade Carson Wentz in the 2021 offseason, suggests cap consequences would not automatically prevent a deal.
On the field, Brown’s 2025 production has been consistent but uneven. Through 13 games, he has totaled 64 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns, missing only one game because of injury. However, his usage early in the season became a focal point. Brown finished with fewer than 50 receiving yards in six of the Eagles’ first nine games, coinciding with reports of frustration inside the locker room regarding the structure of the passing offense and quarterback Jalen Hurts’ conservative tendencies.
Tension became more visible roughly one month ago when Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, Brown, and chief security officer Dom DiSandro held an unprecedented, impromptu meeting during practice. Following that meeting, Brown’s involvement increased significantly. From Weeks 11 through 15, he ranked sixth in the NFL with 48 total targets and third in target share at 30.2 percent. Over that same stretch, he recorded 432 receiving yards, ranking 10th in the league, and caught four touchdown passes, tied for second. He also posted three consecutive 100-yard performances from Weeks 12 through 14.
As the reporting around Brown’s role and future circulated, betting markets moved accordingly. For the Eagles’ December 20 road game against the Washington Commanders, sportsbooks opened Philadelphia as 5.5-point favorites and later shifted the line to -6.5, while the total stayed at 44.5. The moneyline settled at approximately Eagles -310 and Commanders +250. Player prop markets reflected Brown’s increased involvement, listing his receiving-yard totals in the low-to-mid 60s. In futures markets by mid-December, the Eagles were priced around +1000 to +1100 to win the Super Bowl, while the Buffalo Bills were shortened to about +800 after previously being listed as long as +950.
Despite the increase in production, Fowler reported that the situation may not be resolved long-term. He wrote, “The weekly concerns about Brown’s messaging — from sonnets to sound bites — must be taxing on Philadelphia’s locker room, even if players understand the receiver’s frustration due to the limitations of the Eagles’ passing attack.” Fowler added, “Several executives I spoke to believe the Eagles could look to move Brown [this coming offseason], who is 28 and still has prime years left.”
Brown has publicly addressed his frustration with the offense. On November 12, he said, “It’s not about, ‘I don’t care about winning, all I care about is stats.’ No. It’s been week after week, sometimes we’re not doing our job on offense. You can’t keep slapping a Band-Aid over that and expect to win late in the year. … It’s not going to (expletive) happen.”
Around the league, Brown’s trade value remains strong. ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell estimated Brown’s value as a first-round pick in July, and his on-field production in 2025 has not significantly altered that assessment. Fowler wrote that Brown “would undoubtedly have a market,” while teams would also weigh the public nature of his dissatisfaction.
One team frequently connected to Brown in hypothetical trade scenarios is the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo has been eliminated by the Kansas City Chiefs in two AFC Championship Games and two AFC Divisional Round games, including postseason losses in Buffalo during the 2024 playoffs and at Arrowhead Stadium in the 2025 postseason. The franchise has not reached the Super Bowl since its four consecutive appearances from 1991 through 1994. This season, the Chiefs fell to a 6–8 record following a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, a downturn that was compounded by Patrick Mahomes suffering a torn ACL.
Buffalo addressed defensive needs by signing Joey Bosa this offseason and continues to be linked to elite receiving talent as it looks to maximize its window with Josh Allen. A proposed trade framework discussed by evaluators would send Brown to the Bills in exchange for first-round picks in consecutive drafts and a 2025 third-round pick, with the expectation that those first-round selections would fall in the early-to-mid 20s due to Buffalo’s contender status.
