After months of sitting and waiting, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown may be about to get his wish.
The disgruntled Pro Bowler wasn’t shy about his desire to play elsewhere amid reports of tension between himself and quarterback Jalen Hurts, and his discontent with his role in the Eagles offense last season.
But on the eve of June 1 — the date the Eagles set as when they’d be willing to trade Brown to lower his dead-cap hit — the Ole Miss alum did something that got Eagles fans talking: he deleted his X account.
The trade is expected as soon as tomorrow.
When players go quiet, something’s coming. 👀
While Brown’s decision to delete the social media platform is understandable given everything that’s about to be said about him on Monday — good and bad — it is a curious one given how active Brown has been on his account during his NFL career.
The 28-year-old wideout is known for using his X account as a microphone to air his grievances with his team, and he even has a track record for deleting posts that stir up controversy then feigning ignorance over what he was doing.
AJ Brown to New England All But a Done Deal
GettyAJ Brown may be entering his final hours as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
Several NFL insiders like ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport have maintained for months that the framework of a Brown trade has been in place for months.
The Eagles initially asked for first- and second-round picks in exchange for Brown, but according to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, it seems like the teams have agreed on a 2028 first-round pick as compensation.
La Canfora also reported that the consensus in league circles is that Brown will be a Patriot not long after the calendar hits June.
“Another general manager, who said he was unsure of the compensation but expected Brown to be with New England by the end of the week, said, ‘It’s getting done. Howie is ready to put this behind him,’” La Canfora reported.
‘Framework’ of Brown Trade Has Been Done for a While
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported last week that the Eagles and Patriots, who’ve been negotiating for weeks, have had the foundation of a Brown trade in place for a while.
“My understanding is the framework is in place for a trade to be made early next week that will make A.J. Brown a Patriot,” Breer said on NBC Sports Boston’s Early Edition.
“The exact terms, the details, I still think there are some things to be worked out there. But I think it would sort of take someone backing out at this point, whether it’s the Eagles or the Patriots, for it not to happen.”
Once Brown is ultimately traded, the Eagles can spread his dead-cap hit over the next two seasons. That would cost Philly $16.35 million in 2026 and $27.1 million in 2027. Had the Eagles traded Brown before June 1, they would have had to eat all $43.5 million of dead cap money this year.
AJ Brown Makes Drastic Decision Day Before Expected Patriots Trade