Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver A.J. Brown Reportedly Requested Multiple Trades During 2025 Season
If you’ve been watching the Philadelphia Eagles closely this past season, the latest bombshell report regarding A.J. Brown feels less like a surprise party and more like a package you ordered weeks ago, finally showing up on your doorstep. We knew it was coming; we just didn’t know exactly when the tracking number would update.
According to a new report from Bleeding Green Nation, the star wide receiver didn’t just quietly ponder a future elsewhere. Sources say Brown asked for a trade numerous times during the 2025 campaign. And we aren’t talking about a late-season meltdown here. The report indicates Brown started looking for the exit door as early as Week 3, right after the Birds took down the Los Angeles Rams.
Interpreting the Decline In Brown’s Performance
Brown is coming off what is technically a 1,000-yard season, but it felt like the quietest, most frustrating 1,000 yards of his career. He finished the 2025 season with 78 catches and 1,003 yards. For most guys, that’s a banner year. For Brown, those are his lowest numbers since 2021. But it wasn’t just the box score that raised eyebrows; it was the body language. It was the separation—or lack thereof.
During the heartbreaking 23-19 Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Brown looked like a shadow of the dominant force Philly fans fell in love with a few years ago. He was targeted seven times. He caught three balls for a measly 25 yards. But the moment that’s going to be burned into the retinas of every fan at the Linc was that third-and-five drop with just over two minutes left. The ball hit his hands. It went right through them.
It was uncharacteristic, sure. But it also looked like a player who was mentally already halfway to the airport. The report notes he looked “old and creaky,” and frankly, it’s hard to argue with that assessment after watching him struggle to gain separation against San Francisco’s secondary.
Howie Roseman and the Art Of the GM Bluff
Now, we get to the part of the NFL offseason that requires a translator. On Thursday, Eagles GM Howie Roseman faced the music at the year-end press conference. When asked about trading Brown, Roseman went into full “GM Speak” mode.
“It is hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J. is a great player,” Roseman said. He talked about finding guys who love football and reiterated that Brown is “that guy.” It sounds nice. It sounds supportive. It also means absolutely nothing.
Veterans of the Philly beat know better than to take Roseman at face value when he starts complimenting a player on the trade block. Let’s take a trip down memory lane to January 2021. Roseman was asked about Carson Wentz. He compared Wentz to “fingers on your hand,” saying you can’t imagine them not being part of you. It was poetic. It was touching.
Two months later, Roseman traded those “fingers” to the Indianapolis Colts. Roseman’s comments about Brown wearing the ‘C’ patch and caring about winning are standard operating procedure. He isn’t going to tank Brown’s trade value by going to the podium and admitting his star receiver has been begging to leave since September. That is bad business.
What Is Next For Brown and the Birds?
The relationship between a quarterback and his top target is like a marriage. When it’s good, it’s beautiful, but when the resentment settles in, it gets ugly fast. While Roseman claims Brown and Jalen Hurts are in a “good, great place,” the on-field product suggested a disconnect. If Brown truly requested a trade multiple times, that disconnect isn’t just a narrative spun by sports radio; it’s a reality the franchise has to deal with.
We are looking at a receiver who will be 29 next season, coming off a down year, who reportedly doesn’t want to be there. The Eagles are a team trying to retool for a championship run. Keeping a disgruntled star who is dropping critical passes in playoff games isn’t usually the recipe for hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
If the report is accurate and Brown has been asking out since Week 3, the writing isn’t just on the wall—it’s been spray-painted there in neon green for months. Roseman might be playing it cool right now, but if history is any indicator, where there’s this much smoke, Roseman is usually already looking for a fire extinguisher or a trade partner.
