A.J. Brown may end up leaving Eagles no choice at the trade deadline

Despite rampant speculation that star wide receiver A.J. Brown could be traded by the Philadelphia Eagles as he continues to express his discontent with the role he's playing in the offense, the organization is singing a different tune. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported leading into Week 8 that the Eagles aren't inclined to trade Brown. Schefter did include the caveat that Philadelphia will listen on any player, but noted that only a "blockbuster" offer could get the team to consider trading Brown.

That's a stance, however, that's getting harder to justify. Because as much as Jeffery Lurie, Nick Sirianni and everyone around the situation with the Eagles want to talk about trying to mend the relationship between Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts, it doesn't feel like that's remotely close to happening. In fact, it might be farther from happening than ever before.

On Sunday, Eagles fans took notice as Brown appeared to remove any mention of Hurts from his social media, most notably the ones from happier times in Philadelphia between the quarterback and receiver.

This continues the roller-coaster relationship between the two. Of late, that's included, but is certainly not limited to: multiple reports that Brown and Hurts' relationship is beyond repair, Brown yelling into the camera after a huge touchdown catch "that's why [I] need to get the ball]" and much more.

And while the Eagles are going to appear steadfast in the public eye regarding a trade, that's beginning to make less sense.

Eagles can have their cake and eat it too with an A.J. Brown trade

The framing of the reporting around the Eagles and Brown remains fascinating, particularly in regard to trade rumors. Schefter's report over the weekend was framed around Philly not being expected to trade their wide receiver. And that has been what's taken hold: that the Eagles aren't going to move him. At the same time, that completely leaves out the part about still entertaining a blockbuster offer.

As such, we're probably not talking enough about two things. One, the Eagles getting a blockbuster offer is far from out of the question. After all, Brown remains one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL, is under contract through 2029 for cap hits under $30 million per season and is still just 28 years old.

The other part of the equation is the simple business of the NFL at the trade deadline. In no way do the Eagles benefit from broadcasting the fact that they want to trade Brown in order to try and save the locker room. Even if that's what they're trying to do, they need to gain leverage, and reports such as this could help offer them exactly that.

With how things have deteriorated in terms of Brown's relationship with Hurts and the Eagles locker room as a whole, it might actually be the only reasonable course of action right now if they are trying to trade him. There's quite literally no way that they can believe that this relationship is salvageable when every bit of evidence points to the contrary.

To me, trading Brown before the Nov. 4 deadline still seems like the most likely outcome. But the good news for Philly is that there should be no shortage of teams willing to make a massive offer to the Eagles in order to add the wide receiver.

Patriots, Colts should make 'blockbuster' A.J. Brown trade offers

Though we've heard that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos could be aggressive on the trade market for a wide receiver, Brown might not be the best fit for either. Brown and DK Metcalf could be a bit redundant in Pittsburgh, despite the talent, while the same is true with Courtland Sutton in Denver. That doesn't entirely preclude those teams, but it does mean that other possible contenders like the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts should be more aggressive.

The rapid ascension of Drake Maye this season has been a treat to watch, but it also has the Patriots in territory they've not seen since the one year Mac Jones looked like a stud in New England (except with even more promise this time around). Stefon Diggs has proven to be a massive addition, but the Pats receiving corps is still lacking overall. Adding Brown, who grew up a Patriots fan, to the fold would not only have fans jumping for joy as they've pined for this deal for years, but it would also elevate the young offense even further as they compete with the Bills for the AFC East.

While the quarterback situation is different, the Colts could use similar upgrades. Daniel Jones has been a revelation with his new team, and the quarterback play has helped revive Jonathan Taylor to superstar status. But imagine the heights this team could possibly reach if they added Brown to Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce? Furthermore, Shane Steichen has a relationship with the receiver from the 2022 season when he was the offensive coordinator in Philly.

The buyers for a Brown trade aren't limited to those two teams, to be sure. The aforementioned Bills could also make some sense in that capacity as well. However, those two do appear to be the most likely and capable candidates to be aggressive enough to give the Eagles what they're looking for in a Brown trade.

And at the end of the day, that's what all of this hot air being expended about his future seems to be building toward.