Three years after the blockbuster trade that sent A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown is thriving, coming off a Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2024. Meanwhile, his former team is coming off a 3-14 season last season, and is rebuilding under rookie quarterback Cam Ward who was drafted first overall in April's NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, Treylon Burks, the player who was drafted to replace Brown in the infamous trade back in 2022, was recently released after suffering another injury during training on July 26th and was released two days later, on July 28th.
His NFL journey has been marred by injuries and underwhelming production. Most recently, Burks tore his ACL, sidelining him for the latter part of the 2024 season. He missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp in 2025, participating only in non-contact drills. Over three seasons, Burks has managed only 53 receptions for 699 yards and one touchdown in his entire career.
In his recent appearance on the podcast Pardon My Take, Brown reflected on his life-changing trade during the 2022 draft night trade that sent him to the Philadelphia Eagles. He also expressed sympathy towards Burks.
"I'm grateful that happened. I outgrew that situation at Tennessee. I'm glad this happened, because I felt like I was meant to shine. We needed a big team with a big market, and I think this is the right place and the best fit for me. I am a little sad for Treylon Burks. I wish he could get healthy, because he is a good kid. I talk to him numerous times; I've got his number. And it sucks to see it go down like that."
Brown's comment will have Titans fans feeling all kinds of emotions
Brown's interview may not be well-received by some Titans fans, who will no doubt blame Burks as a player, who not only did not fulfill his potential, but also reignited the anger towards former general manager Jon Robinson, who is responsible for the trade that caused their downward spiral over the last three years, and owning up for his blunder in a recently interview with Nashville sports talk radio.
It is easy for players like Brown to take shots at his former team that has fallen on hard times. But in Brown’s case, his tone made it clear that the Titans made a mistake, and he’s thriving because of it. And Brown's interview does not erase the fact that the trade will go down as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history since the Herschel Walker trade. The release of Burks officially puts a nail in the coffin.