No ‘guarantee’ A.J. Brown plays for Eagles in 2026

As the 2026 NFL offseason ramps up, one of the top rumored trade targets is Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. Brown has expressed his frustration with his situation in Philadelphia going back to this previous season, leading many to wonder if a trade could be in his future.

Speaking at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was asked if he expects Brown to be on the Eagles for the 2026 season. His answer will likely only add to the speculation about Brown's availability.

"Will A.J. be here next season? I think we're still in a spot, like, I can't guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season," Sirianni said. "I'm thinking I'm going to be the coach next season, but you can't guarantee anything past tomorrow," he added jokingly.

"Yeah, my expectation is he wants to be here. And obviously you want good players like that in your building," Sirianni said elsewhere in his media availability.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke to reporters as well. He was also non-committal when asked about Brown, saying "we are trying to get better. It’s hard to do that if you’re just subtracting great players. We will do whatever is in the best interest of our team for this year and going forward. Anything that puts us in position to win another championship.”

"I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything," Roseman added, via ESPN. "Someone is going to give you something you didn't anticipate and you won't even have the conversation, I don't think you're necessarily doing your job or really servicing the team you're with."

"You never know what someone is willing to do," he continued. "Certainly, we've been in situations where there were guys we didn't anticipate trading that we got an offer that was too good, and then you balance it with what you can get there."

While the Eagles may not be eager to move on from Brown, that's not a 'no' either. At the very least, the speculation should continue as the offseason goes on.

Brown, who will turn 29 in June, is a three-time All-Pro who had had at least 1,000 yards and at least seven touchdowns all four seasons he's played for the Eagles. In 15 games last year he caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven scores.

For a wide receiver-needy team like the Patriots Brown is a logical target. Not only does he fill a need, but before playing for the Eagles he began his career with the Tennessee Titans and was drafted during Mike Vrabel's tenure as head coach.

Of course, a trade will have to work out for both sides. As Roseman said, the Eagles aren't going to do a deal that makes their team worse. In addition to figuring out compensation there's the matter of Brown's contract, which would leave the Eagles with $43.4 million in dead cap space if traded before June 1, according to OverTheCap.com.