For much of the offseason, rumors swirled around the Philadelphia Eagles and their star wide receiver A.J. Brown. After a disappointing 2025 campaign in which Brown was vocal about his frustration with his involvement in the team’s passing attack, the Eagles opted to trade Brown to the New England Patriots last week.
Philly decided to wait until June to trade Brown so that it could spread out his salary cap hit over the next two seasons, so it ended up saving itself around $20 million this year. Still, actually seeing Brown get traded just a year after he helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX was jarring, and according to some new rumors, it sounds like Jalen Hurts may have played a role in his decision to find his way out of town.
How Big a Role Did Jalen Hurts Play in A.J. Brown’s Desire to Leave Eagles?
After getting picked up in a trade with the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 NFL Draft, Brown spent the past four years with the Eagles. He ended up turning himself into one of the most consistent pass catchers in the league, as he earned a pair of Pro Bowl and All-Pro Second Team honors, while also racking up at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in all four campaigns.
Folks had been concerned about Brown’s fit in Philadelphia’s run-heavy offense for a while now, but things came to a head in 2025. Brown’s numbers were still solid (78 REC, 1,003 YDS, 7 TD), but he went through long stretches where he simply was not involved for the Eagles. As the year went on, Brown’s frustrations grew, both publicly and privately.
While Philly has made it clear it wants to lean on Hurts and Saquon Barkley on the ground, even when they threw the ball, Brown wasn’t always involved. Part of this was due to Hurts’ desire to spread the ball around, but he also didn’t let Brown do what he does best: make plays. According to a new report, Hurts’ reluctance to consistently target Brown played a role in his desire to land with a new team.
“A good bit of his angst stemmed from the play of Hurts, league sources said, in part because of Hurts’ perceived reluctance to target Brown on tight-window throws against zone coverage,” ESPN reported.
Eagles Aiming to Move Past Their A.J. Brown Saga
GettyFormer Eagles WR A.J. Brown.
Whatever the true reason may be, it’s clear that Brown’s time with the Eagles had run its course. He wasn’t happy with the state of the offense, and his presence was simply creating drama that the team did not need to deal with. The Patriots were more than happy to give up a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for Brown, which is a good return, considering how little leverage Philadelphia had.
Losing Brown will obviously hurt, but Philly is well-positioned to absorb this blow. DeVonta Smith is a No. 1-caliber receiver, and the team has loaded up on wide receivers, as it drafted Makai Lemon, traded for Dontayvion Wicks, and signed Marquise Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency. Add in Hurts and Barkley on the ground, and the Eagles shouldn’t skip a beat on offense in 2026.
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