AJ Brown trade rumors: Four potential landing spots for star WR

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of seven teams in the NFL with four wins entering Week 6. But a surprising loss on the road against the New York Giants in ‘Thursday Night Football’ has them in danger of losing their lead atop the NFC East.

Most teams would be happy to be at 4-2 at the one-third mark of the NFL season. But standards are high for the defending champions.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown clarified on X that rumors of a players-only meeting weren’t true. Instead, Brown stated on X that he and other Eagles players talked in a parking lot and it ‘wasn’t a meeting or a sit-down.’

As the Eagles continue to struggle by their standards, The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported that an AFC general manager said the Eagles trading Brown away wouldn’t be a surprise considering how Brown is being used.

Brown is on pace for a career-worst season by most statistics and has posted cryptic messages on social media that point to the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver feeling upset at how he’s been used by first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo.

The NFL trade deadline is less than a month away. If the Eagles were to trade Brown, here are four potential landing spots.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have once again suffered multiple key injuries on offense, threatening to torpedo their season entirely after a 3-0 start. Bringing Brown on via trade could help them contend in 2025 and have a key difference-maker on offense going into the future.

Speaking of the future, Los Angeles has plenty of cap space to handle Browns’ contract into the future even with franchise quarterback Justin Herbert’s extension on the books. He, a resurgent Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey would make for arguably the best trio of wide receivers in the league.

Los Angeles is missing a fifth- and seventh-round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft but could offer a Day 2 selection for the 28-year-old Brown. Plus – with the schedule rotation – the Chargers wouldn’t play the Eagles next year unless both teams made the Super Bowl.

New England Patriots

This one just feels like a familiar and good formula. A team with an improving young quarterback on a rookie deal who needs to upgrade the positions around him with lots of cap space.

Stefon Diggs is playing very well this season, given he’ll soon be 32 years old and is a calendar year removed from a serious knee injury. He and 31-year-old tight end Hunter Henry have been quarterback Drake Maye’s top targets this season.

Acquiring Brown would give the Patriots a top wideout for Maye while he’s still cost-controlled. They have an extra fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to use in a package for Brown. The Eagles and Patriots won’t match up in the regular season until 2027, unless they face off in the Super Bowl first.

Houston Texans

Like the Chargers, the Texans are in the AFC but do have the Eagles on their schedule for 2026. Still, this is a move that could make sense for both teams.

Nico Collins is a star outside receiver and adding Brown would give them a top-tier duo as rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel develop into long-term starters. Houston also has plenty of extra draft capital from the Laremy Tunsil trade to offer Philadelphia in a package for Brown. Collins operates well out wide and would allow Brown to be used in the slot more than he has been in Philadelphia this season.

Houston does have quarterback C.J. Stroud’s extension looming but few contracts on the books past next season. Per OverTheCap, the team has $167 million in space in 2027.

Arizona Cardinals

The lone NFC team on this list is the Cardinals, which may be heading towards desperation mode for coach Jonathan Gannon. Year three of his regime in Arizona has the Cardinals at the bottom of the NFC West entering Week 6.

Brown would immediately become the Cardinals’ top target in the passing game, even over tight end Trey McBride. His presence would make life easier for Marvin Harrison Jr. and give the team a trio of solid wide receivers alongside Michael Wilson in the slot.

Arizona doesn’t have extra draft capital to include in a deal for Brown, but if the team continues to have one of the worst pass offenses in the league, they’d take a risk to upgrade the offense.

A.J. Brown contract details

Brown has a unique contract that includes four void years tacked on from 2031 to 2034 that will not count against the salary cap in order to spread out his bonuses. That means his base salary figures are low and his cap number stays reasonable over the next three years compared to some of the best wide receivers in the league.

All data from OverTheCap.

2025

Base salary: $1.17 million
Guaranteed money: $1.17 million
Cap number: $17.52 million
Trade impacts
- Dead money: $16.35 million
- Cap savings: $1.17 million

2026

Base salary: $1.3 million
Guaranteed money: $29 million
Cap number: $23.39 million
- If cut before June 1: $72.45 million in dead money, $49 million in cap penalty
- If cut after June 1: $45.35 million in dead money, $21.96 million in cap penalty
- If traded before June 1: $45.35 million in dead money, $20.05 million in cap penalty
- If traded after June 1: $16.35 million in dead money, $7.04 million in cap savings

2027

Base salary: $1.35 million
Guaranteed money: None
Cap number: $22.67 million
- If cut or traded before June 1: $27.09 million in dead money, $4.42 million in cap penalty
- If cut or traded after June 1: $11.71 million in dead money, $10.96 million in cap savings

2028

Base salary: $1.39 million
Guaranteed money: None
Cap number: $27.56 million
- If cut or traded before June 1: $15.39 million in dead money, $12.17 million in cap savings
- If cut or traded after June 1: $9.67 million in dead money, $17.89 million in cap savings

2029

Base salary: $1.44 million
Guaranteed money: None
Cap number: $29.31 million
- If cut or traded before or after June 1: $5.72 million in dead money, $23.59 million in cap savings

2030 (void)