With the Philadelphia Eagles meeting the Giants in an important NFC East game, the team is dealing with the soap opera that is A.J. Brown. But would Brown figure into the equation for the perfect offer to get Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals before the NFL trade deadline?
Maybe.
Please understand that it’s highly unlikely the Eagles will trade. It’s highly unlikely the Bengals will trade Hendrickson. So all of this speculation is simply that.
But we also know the NFL is a strange league. Who could have imagined the Dallas Cowboys trading Micah Parsons?
Eagles could make blockbuster deal
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Eagles could make a move for Hendrickson. It’s the type of deal that could put them over the top for the 2025 season, giving them a legitimate shot at a second straight Super Bowl victory.
There’s no doubt of Hendrickson’s value, according to ESPN, which ranked him as the No. 1 target as the trade deadline approaches.
“Hendrickson would be far and away the most attractive trade target if Cincinnati entertains a deal,” Jeremy Fowler wrote. “However, a team source told ESPN, as reported Oct. 14, that the Bengals have no plans to trade the former All-Pro. The interest will be there regardless, and San Francisco in particular considers Hendrickson an ideal fit. The Bengals' record is 3-4, and the team is in the thick of the AFC North race, all the more reason to keep its best defensive player.”
But again, the Cowboys traded Parsons. Here’s what Matt Bowen wrote about Hendrickson.
“Hendrickson is a relentless defender off the edge with a deep toolbox of counters and a knack for making plays late in the down,” Bow wrote. “Hendrickson has four sacks this season, and his 17.5 sacks and 65 pressures in 2024 were both league highs. He would be an immediate upgrade for just about anyone.”
But how could A.J. Brown fit the mix?
Well, the Eagles are Super Bowl or bust after winning last year. So, they wouldn’t deal Brown without getting value in return. However, the Bengals have that value in Tee Higgins.
What would it look like for the Bengals to have Brown paired with Ja’Marr Chase? Wow. Of course, the Bengals wouldn’t trade Hendrickson and Higgins for Brown. That’s far from a fair deal.
So the Eagles must cough up some kind of draft compensation. And here’s where it gets interesting. The Eagles likely have three third-round picks. They have their own, one from the Jets, and a projected comp pick for Milton Williams. They could easily give up a third-round pick.
So right now, it would be A.J. Brown and a third-round pick for Higgins and Hendrickson. Is that enough? Probably not.
The Eagles might have to send next year’s first-round pick in the deal. It’s reasonable because if they added Hendrickson, that first-round pick is likely going to be very late.
Now, we have A.J. Brown, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick, for Higgind and Hendrickson. Perhaps the Bengals would need to pony up a sixth-round pick to balance things out a little.
Sounds like the framework for a good deal.
What do Eagles think of trading A.J. Brown?
Head coach Nick Sirianni doesn’t want to see Brown go, despite all of the trade talk, according to ESPN.
“I question nothing about his desire to play great football, his desire of being a good teammate, his desire to be here,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, A.J. is very important to this football team. I know he wants to contribute and do the things he's capable of doing. He wants to contribute into these wins. And he's had a couple games where he hasn't been able to for different reasons.”
Sirianni said he’s not getting caught up in trade rumors or what other people think the Eagles should or shouldn’t do, according to Sports Illustrated.
“You’re not in control of what anyone thinks,” Sirianni said. “You are only in control of what you think. All [the noise] does is distract you from getting better, finding ways to win, and finding ways to get better. What distracts you? If that’s something that distracts you, then do whatever you need to block it out.
“You can’t let anything zap your joy or steal your focus. I think you see that in the best teams. They are mentally focused to get better every single week. They are mentally focused on the process every single week. Not necessarily the things they can’t control.”
