Another day of NFL free agency, another big wide receiver off the board — and another potential AJ Brown suitor pivoting elsewhere. After Alec Pierce re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts, Michael Pittman was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Mike Evans went to San Francisco on Monday, Tuesday saw the New England Patriots sign Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $70 million deal.
New England had loomed as the most buzzworthy potential landing spot if the Philadelphia Eagles were really serious about moving on from their mercurial wideout, with both the need and the capacity to get a deal done. But they've apparently decided that negotiating with Howie Roseman wasn't worth the trouble. Which begs the question: Is there anywhere left for Brown to go? A few weeks ago, it seemed like a trade was a matter of when rather than if. Now, though, it's getting harder and harder to see happening.
Best AJ Brown landing spots if Patriots are out of the equation
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have a few things going for them here. For starters, this franchise operates from a constant position of desperation, even more so now that much-maligned GM Andrew Berry is fighting to keep his job. It also just so happens that Berry used to work for the Eagles, and has a long-standing relationship with Roseman. Add to that the fact that Cleveland has multiple first-round picks to work with this year from the Travis Hunter trade — plus plenty of recent history when it comes to splashy receiver acquisitions, from Odell Beckham Jr. to Amari Cooper to Jerry Jeudy — and you can talk yourself into it.
Of course, that doesn't mean it would be a good idea. This team remains at least a year or two away from serious contention, and they'd have no assurances that Brown would be content to catch balls from the likes of Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. But there's a glaring need at receiver and assets to burn; historically, that's a dangerous combination in Cleveland.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs gave their running game a much-needed jolt with the Kenneth Walker III signing. Now, about the passing game: Patrick Mahomes remains elite, but there's only so much he can do with a receiving corps that's way over-indexed on small, speedy types at the expense of anyone big enough to work the intermediate areas of the field.
This room needs to get bigger and stronger in a hurry, and the 6-foot-1, 226-pound Brown would fit the bill perfectly as the sort of X receiver Mahomes hasn't had in years. With the extra capital from the Trent McDuffie trade, maybe Kansas City is willing to take a big swing on another transformative offensive piece? With Mahomes, Walker and a sturdy offensive line in place, the Chiefs could take off in 2026 with Brown in the fold.
Los Angeles Chargers
The offensive line is the first order of business for L.A. this offseason, but finding another weapon to put alongside Ladd McConkey is a close second. It goes without saying that Brown would be an ideal fit, even if he's not the body type or skill set that Mike McDaniel gravitated toward with the Miami Dolphins. That had more to do with the limitations of Tua Tagovailoa than it did McDaniel's personal preference, and he should know exactly what to do with a guy who is still one of the best outside receivers in football.
Would the Chargers be willing to fork over a first-round pick, given the other needs they have to fill? That remains to be seen, but adding Brown would be a huge statement of intent that gives Justin Herbert a much-needed safety blanket.
Las Vegas Raiders
You don't hand a center $27 million a year in free agency if you're not dead-set on giving your soon-to-be franchise quarterback as smooth a transition as possible. And after signing Tyler Linderbaum, what better way for the Raiders to continue building around presumptive No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza than giving him a no-doubt No. 1 receiver?
Would Brown be thrilled at the prospect of going to a franchise that hasn't been relevant in decades at this point? Probably not. But you can sell a lot of people on living in Vegas, and if Mendoza hits, this Raiders team might not be as far away from respectability as you think. Plus, they've got more than enough ammo after the Maxx Crosby trade.
AJ Brown trade seems less and less likely as NFL free agency winds down
Beyond the destinations above, it's hard to find a realistic fit for Brown. The Eagles almost certainly won't send him to another NFC contender, which removes the Packers, Vikings and Seahawks from consideration. And in the AFC, what other options are there? The Bills and Patriots have already made big moves for receivers this offseason, and the Jets and Dolphins are rebuilding. The Steelers just traded for Michael Pittman, the Ravens gave up two firsts for Crosby and the last thing the Bengals need is another wideout. You could maybe make a case for the Jags, Colts or Texans, but are any of those teams so desperate for receiver help that they'd meet Roseman's asking price?
From here, the answer sure seems like no. Unless Brown decides to make things very uncomfortable for Philly, the team is under no immediate pressure to trade him; he's under contract for at least three more years, and the Eagles would have no issue moving him at next season's trade deadline if things continue to go south. It's hard to imagine how moving Brown would be anything other than a step back in the immediate term, and that's a trade not worth making for a legitimate NFC contender — one that planned its cap sheet around an expensive offense through at least the 2026 season, if not 2027.
Yes, Philly has needs to address this offseason, and young stars who will need to get paid sooner rather than later. But Brown isn't an obstacle to any of that; again, this was Roseman's timeline all along. By the time Cooper Dejean, Quinyon Mitchell and others are up for extensions, Brown's deal won't be too onerous to move off of. The only variable that might change the equation is Brown himself, and hey, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility that he cranks up the heat to get what he wants. But Brown also wants to win, and he's smart enough to know that the grass isn't always greener.