While Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff had no problem racking up the numbers last season, the club still ultimately missed the NFL playoffs and had to watch from home for the first time since 2023.
Adding insult to injury was the fact that former Lions offensive coordinator, who departed last offseason to accept the head coaching position with the Chicago Bears, are the reigning NFC North winners (despite Detroit winning both games against them).
Could the Lions be in a position to make a trade with an NFC East contender?
Could The Detroit Lions Land A.J. Brown From The Philadelphia Eagles?
According to a fantasy piece written by Thomas Carelli on Sports Illustrated, the Lions would be an ideal landing spot for Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown, who has been embroiled in countless trade rumors.
His trade proposal was as follows:
Lions Get:
- WR, AJ Brown
Eagles Get:
- 2027 1st Round Pick
- 2027 2nd Round Pick
- CB, Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
“As an Eagle, Brown is a certified fantasy football WR1. In Detroit, that role may become more volatile. Despite Brown’s skill set, Amon-Ra St. Brown would still remain the team’s WR1 with a 25%+ target share, while Brown would move ahead of Jameson Williams on the depth chart. The two receivers have somewhat different skill sets: Brown is more of a physical, possession receiver, whereas Williams offers more vertical, big-play upside. Brown’s presence wouldn’t match Williams’ field-stretching profile, but it would cap some of Williams’ upside.
The Lions ultimately would have the best offense in the NFL, on paper. Goff can be a top-10 quarterback and be the favorite to lead the NFL in passing yards. St. Brown will remain as a mid-range WR1, while Brown would be more of a high-end WR2, and Williams becomes a Flex play with WR2 upside. Sam LaPorta may get the short end of the stick here, being the 3rd pass-catcher as it is, and now short the 4th with AJ Brown added.”
Meanwhile, the Lions could stand to benefit from the addition of Brown, and that’s why Carelli believes that GM Brad Holmes should jump at the chance.
“The Lions struggled mightily in 2025,” he wrote. “A team that was among the Super Bowl favorites fell flat. They need to get back to excellence on offense, and while depth is lacking at the wide receiver position, that solves all their problems by adding a player like Brown. In tandem with improving their offensive line through the NFL Draft, the Lions will be the highest-rated offense with a new duo sharing the same last name.”
Wideout A.J. Brown Won The Super Bowl With The Eagles
Brown, an original 2019 second round (51st overall) draft selection of the Tennessee Titans out of Ole Miss, helped the Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Overall in his NFL career, he’s been named to three Pro Bowls, and has also been named a Second-Team All-Pro three times.
He’s racked up 8,029 receiving yards on 524 receptions with 56 total receiving touchdowns.
Detroit Lions Linked To Trade For Super Bowl-Winning Wideout