Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) on the turf after a missed catch against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
We don't yet know what the future holds for A.J. Brown, but it's hard to shake the feeling that Sunday's Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers may have been his final game with the Eagles.
Whether it was Brown's three drops, a heated sideline interaction with Nick Sirianni or his refusal to speak with reporters after the loss, Sunday felt like the tipping point for the three-time Pro Bowler and the Eagles.
Of course, it's not that simple. Brown signed a three-year/$96 million extension that guarantees him $84 million prior to the 2024 season. It is going to cost more against the cap to move on from him this offseason than to just have him back in 2026 at a $23.39 million cap hit, though things may be at the point where that's necessary.
So what options do Howie Roseman and the Eagles have if they're ready to move on from Brown? Per Over The Cap, here's a look.
Release: This doesn't seem to be a real option, because the Eagles would be left with $72 million in dead cap money if they released Brown before June 1. Even if they designated him as a post-June 1 release and spread the dead money over two seasons, the Eagles would have $45.35 million in dead cap money for 2026. Plus, in this route, you wouldn't get anything in return for a player that at 28 years old is still clearly very gifted.
Trade: If the Eagles traded Brown before June 1, it would leave them with $43.45 million in dead cap money in 2026. They could trade him after June 1, and take the bulk of that dead cap hit in 2027, leaving them with a manageable $16.35 million in dead money in 2026. The problem with that is the Eagles wouldn't get any 2026 draft compensation in return for Brown in that instance because the trade would take place after the NFL Draft. Perhaps more important is many suitors would move on via the NFL Draft, trade or free-agent signing, rather than waiting until the summer without a guarantee of being able to trade for Brown.
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Perhaps there's a way that the Eagles and Brown can restructure his deal to make moving on from him via trade not as painful (and therefore, more likely). Surely, Roseman understands how to manipulate the cap better than us, or just about anyone on the planet.
As things stand right now, though, the Eagles seem to have two possibilities.
The first is that they trade Brown before June 1, and just take their medicine in the form of a $43.45 million dead cap hit in 2026, probably limiting their ability to be active in free agency this offseason. It should also be noted, if you think the Eagles are going to get a first-round pick for a clearly disgruntled Brown at this point, you probably need to readjust your expectations. Think a conditional third or fourth-round selection.
The second option is that they find a way to make things work with Brown, and he's back for a fifth season in Philadelphia. But for as much as this would be the most desirable scenario, it's fair to wonder if just changing offensive coordinators would be enough to salvage this relationship. For the better part of the last two seasons, there have been legitimate questions about Brown's rapport with Jalen Hurts and the organization as a whole.
Certainly, it would be a sad outcome for the Eagles to have to take a massive cap penalty to move on from one of the most gifted wideouts in franchise history who is still on the right side of 30. That might be where things are heading, though.
