Why ESPN Analyst Believes Eagles 'Need' To Part Ways With A.J. Brown
The NFL stove continues to heat up around A.J. Brown. Amid intense speculation over the wide receiver’s future, an ESPN analyst made the case for the Philadelphia Eagles trading him.
Louis Riddick explained on Friday’s “Get Up” why the Eagles should move on from the three-time Pro Bowler.
“It just seems like they need to go their separate ways here,” Riddick said. “There’s just too much smoke around this situation all this time.”
Riddick claimed Brown appears to be unhappy with his role in Philadelphia’s offense after recording 1,003 receiving yards in 15 games last season.
“It seems like he would be much happier with a different offensive system, with a different quarterback in a different environment,” Riddick argued.
The Eagles are reportedly entertaining offers for Brown, and the New England Patriots are a rumored suitor to reunite the 28-year-old with Mike Vrabel. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said he’ll “listen on anyone,” but the chances of him trading a star player like Brown are “not very high.”
While contenders don’t typically look to move such high-impact stars, Riddick suggested that trading Brown could be an addition by subtraction within the locker room.
“But at some point in time, you have to kind of balance collecting talent and building teams,” Riddick said. “If you’re going to talk about culture and talk about having a building that’s healthy … then sometimes you have to act upon that, and you have to make tough decisions.”
Riddick may feel the relationship has run its course, but he could still see the Eagles retaining Brown if they don’t receive a strong trade offer this offseason.
“I may be wrong. He may be on the football team in 2026,” Riddick acknowledged. “They may say, ‘Hey, look, we’re not going to get fair value for this young man on the trade market, so we’re gonna get him here regardless of how it looks from the outside.'”
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