The Philadelphia Eagles have been linked to a blockbuster trade of wide receiver A.J. Brown for months, but the Pro Bowl wideout may not be the team’s only star who’s on the chopping block.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, one anonymous NFL executive told him he wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles ultimately traded $255 million quarterback Jalen Hurts next offseason if the team struggles in 2026 as badly as it did the previous year.
“Hurts I could see [getting traded],” an anonymous AFC exec stated. “Polarizing player, and as his running ability starts to decline, his value will decline, too. And [Eagles general manager Howie Roseman] will always be proactive with finding solutions.”
All Eyes Are on Jalen Hurts
GettyJalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to win Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Though the Eagles went 11-6 last season and won the NFC East, they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the injury depleted San Francisco 49ers, which had fans calling for the jobs of head coach Nick Sirianni, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who was eventually fired, and Hurts.
It’s been reported by multiple sources that suffering a similar fate this year won’t be acceptable — and that could mean Hurts finds himself in another city in 2027.
“This is a crucial year for the Eagles’ offense under Hurts, after their passing attack ranked in the bottom third of the league in back-to-back seasons,” Fowler wrote. “The offense will feature more play-action and under-center work, which Hurts has hesitated to embrace at times in the past but has appeared very open to this offseason.
“… Hurts has been throwing off site with multiple Eagles receivers, including his new No. 1, Devonta Smith — assuming A.J. Brown is traded as expected — and veteran Elijah Moore. Some NFL personnel evaluators still consider him a top-12 quarterback in the league. All of that won’t dim the spotlight placed on him this season — and the spotlight on the team’s next move if he struggles again.”
If Philly trades Hurts before June 1 of next year, it would take a $2.9 million dead-cap hit. But if he’s traded post-June 1, it would gain an additional $21.4 million in cap savings.
Not the First Time a Hurts Trade Has Been Floated
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio posed back on April 1 that Hurts and the Eagles could soon be heading for a divorce after a bombshell ESPN report was published in which several anonymous members of the Eagles threw the star QB under the bus, blaming him for most of the team’s shortcomings last year.
“The mere fact that the ESPN report exists becomes proof that the Eagles may be on the brink of playing hardball with Hurts,” Florio wrote. “He’s signed through 2028, and after this season the dead-money charge slips to an eye-popping but manageable $67 million, which could be spread over two years with a post-June 1 transaction.
“… Wednesday’s article may be a pre-OTA shot across the bow to Hurts that his contract doesn’t translate to lifetime employment, and that if he doesn’t start doing what the Eagles want him to do he may be doing it somewhere else in 2027.”
Eagles insider Jeff McLane also reported around the same time that Philadelphia has no plans to extend Hurts’ contract, which has three more years left but also has an out after the 2027 season.
NFL Executive Sparks Major Eagles-Jalen Hurts Trade Buzz