On Monday, in a major update for Philadelphia Eagles fans, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Eagles have an agreement with the New England Patriots to offload veteran wide receiver A. J. Brown. The report noted that Brown will “likely” be traded to the Patriots later in June.
If the trade goes through as Schefter claims, Brown will be a New England Patriots player at the start of the 2026-27 NFL season, requiring the Eagles to make moves in the NFL draft or trade for wide receivers. That leaves the Eagles with a big task ahead of the 2026-27 NFL season. Yet, why are they willing to let go of the veteran quarterback?
Several on and off-field factors have influenced the decision to trade AJ Brown. As an NFL analyst revealed after the June 1 trade news broke, the Eagles are likely to be better off without Brown despite his wealth of experience in the league.
Analyst Lists 6 Reasons Why Eagles Are Better Off Without AJ Brown
Chase Senior, the NFL host and VP of content strategy at Chat Sports, listed a set of seven reasons why the relationship between AJ Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles “has run its course.” He said, “I can also see why the Eagles want to move on from AJ Brown. At some point, it just becomes too much of a distraction and it’s not conducive to winning.”
Also read: AJ Brown trade update: Star WR could stay at Eagles; insider gives new update
According to him, there are six reasons why he thinks the Eagles should let Brown go: “Constant complaining, Bad drops, Unwillingness to block, Lack of concentration, Bad body language, and all of the cryptic tweets.” Let’s take a look at each briefly.
1. Constant Complaining
During the 2025-26 season, A.J. Brown was extremely vocal about his frustration with the Eagles’ offense, calling his experience a “s—show.”
2. Bad Drops
Brown tied a career-high with two critical drops in a key playoff game that ended the Eagles’ Super Bowl defense, including one on third-and-5 late in the contest, amid reports of 13 drops on 521 career targets with Philadelphia.
3. Lack of Concentration
Brown’s pre-draft scouting flagged Brown’s drops tied to lapses in focus, a trait that persisted in 2025-26 with poor execution on 50/50 balls and disengagement when not targeted early.
Also read: AJ Brown trade update: Eagles’ latest move gives Patriots a much-needed boost
4. Unwillingness to Block
Retired Eagles receiver Jason Avant criticized AJ Brown for a lack of on-field effort and poor body language, arguing the star’s issues are mental rather than physical.
5. Bad Body Language
Brown displayed poor body language during his Eagles tenure, with many noting it set a negative tone for the team.
6. Cryptic Tweets
In the 2025-26 season, Brown posted cryptic tweets like “Don’t make a scene” and “Toss me the ball” after low-yardage games, venting frustration over his limited role in the run-heavy offense.
