The Philadelphia Eagles had little room to maneuver after the 2025 season, and the A.J. Brown situation pushed them into a decision they couldn’t really avoid. Brown no longer wanted to stay in Philadelphia, his relationship with Jalen Hurts had reportedly deteriorated, and the trade talk that followed eventually turned into reality when the All-Pro wideout was dealt to the New England Patriots.
Even so, not everyone around the league thinks the Eagles landed on the right answer.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that some rival NFL teams questioned whether moving Brown was the proper fix for the issues that had built up in Philadelphia. As Howe put it, "There was quite a bit of drama last season with the Eagles, but rival teams weren't sure trading wideout A.J.
Brown was the solution," and added, "... No one is writing off the Eagles, but some concerns shouldn't be ignored."
The Eagles’ move did clear away the noise that had grown around Brown after his push for more targets during a season in which the passing game struggled. But in 2026, the cost of that clean break is a receiver group that looks very different behind DeVonta Smith.
Philadelphia still has Hurts, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley, but the rest of the passing attack now leans on Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks to help replace what Brown brought to the offense. That’s a tough ask.
Brown and the Patriots, meanwhile, are being viewed as a team that could be headed for a big season. For the Eagles, the question is whether the new-look offense can hold up without him. Rival teams clearly have doubts, and those doubts don’t disappear just because the trade had to happen.
Hurts and Philadelphia could still put together a strong year. No one is ruling that out. But making a deep playoff run after moving Brown would require a lot to break the right way.
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