Drama has followed the Eagles for nearly two years. Receiver AJ Brown has often found himself at the center of the spectacle.
That reality led some to wonder if Philadelphia could trade Brown elsewhere before Tuesday’s deadline. When the clock struck 4 p.m., Brown was still an eagle.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman explained his decision to hold out simply Tuesday: Championship contenders don’t trade elite players.
“I think when you’re trying to be a great team, it’s hard to replace great players and AJ Brown is a great player,” Roseman said of Brown, via ESPN. “He has a ‘C’ for a reason. He is an important part of this team, of this organization. He cares about winning, he cares about his teammates, and I think when you’re a team like ours that’s looking forward to a chance to compete for a championship, you just don’t get rid of guys like that.”
Brown has been instrumental in the Eagles’ rise to perennial title contention, recording three straight 1,000-plus yard seasons that were nothing short of statistically spectacular since Philadelphia signed him in a blockbuster deal with Tennessee in 2022. But if ever there was a year where the Eagles could consider parting with a team captain of 25, it was Brown who was their 25 captain and 25 receiver. A career average of 56.4 yards and has repeatedly expressed frustration with his role.
Two straight wins for the 6-2 Eagles have calmed the drama somewhat but haven’t quieted the rumblings of tension between Brown and the coaching staff. With elite talent carrying premium prices, most understood it would take a massive offer to pry Brown away from the defending champs.
In the end, no team was interested in sliding such a proposal across Roseman’s desk.