The 2026 season has been a disaster for the Philadelphia Eagles. With Jalen Hurts done for the year and other stars like DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley dealing with injuries, it looks like the Eagles will have trouble making a postseason run.
Many fans have shifted their attention to the 2027 offseason, but some are also keeping an eye on how things are panning out for A.J. Brown. Based on how it has looked for Brown in New England, Philadelphia continues to look smart moving on from him in the offseason.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Brown is set to miss the Week 8 game against the Miami Dolphins due to a knee injury. He was a DNP for Wednesday and Thursday's practices. Now Brown is going to miss his fifth game of the year with a new injury. And even though the Eagles won't get a first-rounder from the trade until the 2028 draft, it's clear they were right to move on.
Eagles' A.J. Brown trade decision looks better with every passing week
Even if Brown were on the Eagles team this season, it wouldn't have made a difference. Their starting QB is sidelined, and Smith is dealing with his own injury. Brown was already unhappy with how things were unfolding in Philly, and if he were around, it would have been another headache the team would have to deal with.
He was constantly throwing jabs at the team when speaking to the media, and that would have continued in 2026, given how the losses piled up. Yet, the Eagles got a first-round pick in exchange for him.
This knee issue popping up isn't a shock to Philadelphia. That's something that he's been dealing with for years, and people inside the Eagles org knew about it. Prior to making the deal, New England's team doctors signed off on the trade, but the fact that it's flaring up again isn't a good sign.
It's been something that he's had to manage over the past couple of years, but that isn't something that will get better over time, especially for a receiver who will be turning 30 years old in June.
Brown is more of a physical kind of receiver, listed at 6-foot-1, 226 pounds. His size can't make things any better on that knee, and with his high-ankle sprain still giving him problems, it's becoming a bad overall year for him.
Eagles' A.J. Brown decision is aging better than anyone expected
Brown has played in three games for the Pats this year, logging nine catches (20 targets) for 101 yards and zero touchdowns. He's also had issues holding onto the ball, with three drops recorded, per Fox Sports.
There's no telling how much time Brown will miss with this knee injury, but this issue won't go away. He will have to manage that, on top of the ankle sprain, for the rest of the year. The Ole Miss product didn't look like the same player he was in Philly.
Read more: Eagles are repeating history with Saquon Barkley after their Jalen Hurts mistake
Regardless, that is the Pats' problem now, and with him set to miss more time, the Eagles look wise for moving on from him and fetching a first-round pick in return. Brown has a degenerative knee condition, and it has popped up in New England within the first two months of the season.
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