It feels like it's truly only a matter of time before A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles go their separate ways. A trade could be on the horizon, and with the NFL free agency period beginning in just over a month, Brown could find himself on a new team, potentially traded for a second time in his career.
The Eagles are an aggressive team, as general manager Howie Roseman will leave no stone unturned in trying to improve the roster, but that sometimes means saying goodbye to key players. The honest truth is that Brown likely isn't needed on offense. Philly doesn't throw the ball consistently enough to continue rostering both Brown and DeVonta Smith.
This could pave the way for a likely trade in 2026, and these three teams make the most sense to acquire his services.
Three logical landing spots for Eagles' WR A.J. Brown in the 2026 NFL Offseason
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots might make the most sense for Brown, and the main reason is the relationship that Brown and now Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel developed when both were in Tennessee during the 2019-2021 seasons. Furthermore, the Patriots have a wide-open Super Bowl window and need another wide receiver to pair with Stefon Diggs on offense.
Drake Maye was outstanding this year and is clearly an elite, franchise-level QB. Maximizing his rookie contract window is what the Patriots will indeed do this offseason, so pursuing a major upgrade like AJ Brown makes all the sense in the world. The Eagles would also be able to send Brown to the AFC, so he'd be far away from Philly and less of a threat. It would honestly be a massive shock if the Patriots didn't make a trade offer for the veteran wide receiver this offseason.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are in a similar situation to the New England Patriots, as the offense also needs another weapon. The Broncos do not have a legitimate WR1 and saw second-year QB Bo Nix suffer as a result. Denver struggled with drops in 2025 and cannot continue to rely on Courtland Sutton as the top option in the passing game.
Denver is now free of Russell Wilson's dead cap hit, so they'll have the financial resources and enough NFL Draft capital to swing a deal. The Broncos also have a trio of young wide receivers in Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr. that Howie Roseman may covet if the Eagles plan to trade Brown. A hypothetical package of, for example, Troy Franklin and a third-round pick might be too good for Roseman to pass up.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills will need to clear some cap space to facilitate this type of move, but it's very possible given today's aggressive salary-cap habits. Not only do the Bills have a need for a legitimate WR1, but they have made a trade like this before. Back in 2020, General manager Brandon Beane swung a major trade to acquire Stefon Diggs, who was still on the Minnesota Vikings. Acquiring Diggs was a huge reason why Josh Allen broke out in 2020.
Read more: Giants just made the most laughable hire as they bring in former Eagles coach
The Bills could be seeking to make a similar move. With yet another early playoff exit, mostly thanks to not-good-enough pass-catchers, the Bills could get aggressive to try and find a solution for the next three-ish seasons. Brown would instantly become the no. 1 option in Buffalo and would thrive there, much like Stefon Diggs did during his four-year stint with the team.