In another example of how well the Philadelphia Eagles have been constructed in recent years, ESPN’s annual rankings of the NFL’s best roster have the Eagles at No. 2 out of 32 teams — and that’s after trading away a 3-time NFL All-Pro and 1 of the league’s best wide receivers in A.J. Brown.
One of the big reasons the Eagles can lose that kind of talent and still have a roster so highly regarded is that they have taken pains to create depth most NFL teams can’t conceive of.
The Eagles seem to have taken the most care over depth at wide receiver in 2026 to make sure the loss of Brown doesn’t crater the 2026 season. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz pointed out as much when he singled out former 1st -round pick and free-agent signee wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown as the team’s top nonstarter.
“He’s not going to start, but the 2019 first-rounder is going to play a role in the Eagles’ offense,” Schatz wrote on July 6. “Last season, he had 49 catches in Kansas City for 587 yards and five touchdowns, and his average of 12.0 yards per reception was his highest since 2020.”
Eagles Have Missed Decent WR3 in Recent Years
The Eagles have been desperate for a legitimate 3rd wide receiver option for the last few years — a role that was filled by Jahan Dotson at times, but more often than not left a lot to be desired as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith carried the load.
Hollywood Brown might be part of the answer in 2026
“Breaking: The Eagles are signing former Chiefs WR Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown to a 1-year, deal worth up to $6.5M, multiple sources tell me,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on March 17. “The explosive Brown had 49 catches for 587 yards and 5 TDs last season.”
The Eagles will be the 3rd team in 4 seasons for Brown, who spent the last 2 seasons with the Chiefs and had his only 1,000-yard receiving season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.
In 7 NFL seasons, Brown has 371 receptions for 4,322 yards and 33 touchdowns to go with approximately $40 million in career earnings.
Brown Has Been Average at Last 2 Stops
One benefit for the Eagles in signing Brown is that he’s a bargain, if not a bit of a slight overpay — his market value was a 1-year, $5.5 million contract projection.
Brown has done little since he left the Ravens to live up to the promise that made him part of the 2022 trade to the Cardinals. In 2 seasons with Arizona, Brown missed 8 games due to injuries and saw his numbers dip to 67 receptions for 704 yards in 2022 and 51 receptions for 574 yards in 2023.
Brown played for the Chiefs on a 1-year, $7 million contract in 2024 and missed 15 regular-season games due to injuries before returning for the playoffs and to play in a Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
He had a bounce-back season in 2025 with 49 receptions for 587 yards and 5 touchdowns in 16 regular-season games — his highest total since 2021.
Eagles’ $40 Million Free Agent Signee Called Best Nonstarter