The Philadelphia Eagles have not lost a step after winning Super Bowl 59. Philadelphia is one of the NFL's undefeated teams heading into Week 5 and their offense is just as dominant as ever. But there has been trouble brewing in paradise surrounding one of Philadelphia's most important offensive players.
A.J. Brown has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors early in the 2025 season. These rumors began after Brown put up two forgettable performances to start the season. In fact, he only hauled in six passes for 35 yards in two games.
And it did not help matters when Brown posted a cryptic message on social media, seemingly validating those trade rumors.
Brown addressed his relationship with the Eagles in an interview with reporters on Wednesday.
“It's fair to want the ball. But it's not a bad thing to want the ball. It's just that it's not about targets or putting numbers up or anything, it's about and I see it as we're struggling,” Brown clarified, per ESPN's Tim McManus. “I'm a guy that wants the ball in those teams — when we can't find a way. When the game is on the line, just give it to me.”
Eagles fans must be thankful that Brown seemingly has no plans of leaving the team. Especially after he looked like his old self in Week 4 against the Rams.
It seems extremely unlikely that Philadelphia would trade Brown away in the first place. Both from a financial standpoint, and because they are still Super Bowl contenders.
But the question remains: what would it take for the Eagles to part with him? And is there any way the 49ers could pry him away before the trade deadline?
Below we will explore the perfect trade offer the 49ers need to make to acquire A.J. Brown from the Eagles.
What would it cost to trade for A.J. Brown?
Let's go over the trade terms before we get into any analysis.
Eagles receive:
- 2026 first-round pick
- 2026 third-round pick
- 2026 fourth-round pick (compensatory)
49ers receive:
- WR A.J. Brown
That might look like a lot to give up for Brown. After all, the Eagles only traded a first-round pick to acquire him in the first place.
So why would it cost this much (or even more) to acquire Brown?
It starts with how productive of a wide receiver Brown is. He has been an elite receiver for the Eagles every year that he has been in Philadelphia.
Brown has eclipsed 67 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, and seven touchdown in each of this three seasons as an Eagle. Philadelphia has made the Super Bowl twice, and won once, with Brown as its top receiver.
That kind of player can be tough to give up.
Beyond the production, there's the financial element at play.
Brown's contract is unique because it includes a minimum base salary. Most of the actual money in his contract comes from his signing bonus, and various other bonuses.
This becomes a problem when talking about trading Brown because only his salary can be traded with him. Any signing bonus stays with Philadelphia's salary cap even after Brown leaves the team.
That's great news for the 49ers, but bad news for the Eagles.
I'm not sure that the above trade package is enough to acquire Brown in reality. But it is about as fair an offer as the 49ers should offer.
How would A.J. Brown change the 49ers offense?
It is hard to undersell how important a player like A.J. Brown could become in San Francisco.
The 49ers are absolutely desperate to acquire another wide receiver. That is one more reason the Eagles can ask for whatever they want in a trade.
San Francisco is already down Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings all due to injury. That leaves Brock Purdy or Mac Jones throwing to Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, and Jake Tonges with plenty of Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield.
The addition of A.J. Brown would immediately make that situation a lot better.
Brown and McCaffrey on the same team alone is enough to keep opposing defenses honest. And it helps to have a special offensive mind like Kyle Shanahan running the show.
But perhaps the biggest benefit of acquiring Brown would be what it would mean for the 49ers in the future.
San Francisco could become an even more dangerous offense one Aiyuk, Pearsall, and Kittle return from their injuries. The 49ers would suddenly have plenty of weapons, one could argue almost too many.
Brown would be the final piece in San Francisco's offense and would keep their Super Bowl window open for multiple seasons.
Ultimately, it is hard to imagine the Eagles trading A.J. Brown at all. Let alone sending him to another NFC superpower.
But there's no denying that the 49ers would be a whole lot better if they added a player of Brown's caliber.
