The Philadelphia Eagles officially closed the book on the A.J. Brown era this week.Â
And one veteran leader didn’t hide his feelings about finally putting months of speculation behind them.
Speaking to reporters after Brown’s blockbuster trade to the New England Patriots became official, Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata admitted the uncertainty surrounding the star receiver’s future had become exhausting.
“I think this is more of a â it sounds terrible â but like, thank God it’s over,” Mailata said.
“It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out? We didn’t really know, and that really wasn’t our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense.”
Brown had been the subject of trade rumors throughout much of the offseason before Philadelphia ultimately agreed to send the former All-Pro wide receiver to New England.Â
While Eagles general manager Howie Roseman repeatedly insisted Brown remained part of the team’s plans, many observers believed the writing was on the wall after several offseason moves. This included Philadelphia trading up in the first round to select wide receiver Makai Lemon.
Now that the move is complete, Mailata made it clear the locker room is ready to move forward.
Eagles Ready to Turn the Page
Mailata emphasized that players had already begun focusing on the future long before the trade was finalized.
“Yes, we can move on now,” Mailata said. “I think most of us that have been here the last six weeks, we have moved on, just from, we have enough to worry about.”
The veteran offensive lineman noted that the Eagles have been busy adjusting to changes throughout the organization while attempting to move on from last season’s disappointing playoff exit.
“Getting over last year, and then coming in here and learning a new scheme and new concepts, like we had to press on,” Mailata said. “So that’s what we were doing.”
Philadelphia enters the 2026 season with several new faces and expectations despite losing one of the NFL’s most productive receivers.Â
Brown finished the 2025 season with 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns while surpassing 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth consecutive year in Philadelphia.
Mailata Believes DeVonta Smith Is Ready
While replacing Brown’s production won’t be easy, Mailata expressed confidence that DeVonta Smith is fully prepared to embrace an even larger role within the offense.
“He’s always been a No. 1 receiver,” Mailata said. “Nothing has changed for Smitty.”
Mailata pushed back against any suggestion that Smith’s leadership responsibilities will suddenly increase because of Brown’s departure.
“Smitty’s always led from the front,” Mailata said. “Just because he never wore that captain’s patch the last two years didn’t mean that he wasn’t a captain in the locker room.”
He added that he expects Smith’s leadership to become even more visible this season.
“When he wears that captain’s patch this year, there’s no surprise,” Mailata said. “He’s always been a captain in my eyes.”
With Brown now in New England, the Eagles appear ready to move into a new chapter. If Mailata’s comments are any indication, many inside the building are relieved the long-running saga is finally over.
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