NFL Rumors: Eagles dig in on A.J. Brown, Chiefs-Tyreek surprise, Arch Manning letdown

As we gear up for Week 5 of the NFL season, there are several juicy matchups on the docket. We have the unstoppable force (Jets being terrible) against the immovable object (a very movable Cowboys defense). Jaxson Dart gets the 0-4 Saints in his second NFL start, which means there's a decent chance he starts his career 2-0 while Russell Wilson watches from the sideline like that mean of the crying dude wearing a mask. Bills-Patriots actually has some juice this year. The Jaguars are somehow 3-1 and get a chance to topple the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. It's going to be a fun week.

Now, while the games are unfolding, all 32 front offices around the league are crunching the numbers and attempting to decipher what exactly their outlook is for the rest of the campaign. The Nov. 4 trade deadline is officially less than a month away. Rumors are beginning to percolate, and trust me, they will only intensify in the weeks ahead.

For now, here's the scuttlebutt most worthy of your attention on this fine NFL Sunday, starting with everyone's favorite nepo baby, Arch Manning.

Arch Manning is officially on 2027 NFL Draft radars

Coming into the season, many speculated that the New Orleans Saints would tank with the objective of selecting Arch Manning, the grandson of ex-Saints legend Archie Manning, with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Well, it seems we overestimated Manning a wee bit. Texas fell to 3-2 on Saturday with a 29-21 loss in The Swamp to a not-so-great Florida Gators team.

This loss was not entirely on Manning, but he only completed 16-of-29 passes and threw two interceptions. He really hasn't put together a front-to-back solid performance all season, except against Sam Houston. Even UTEP gave the hot-shot sophomore issues. Texas has lost its only two games against remotely meaningful competition, and again, Florida really is not a heavyweight this season. You can excuse losses to LSU and Miami, but the Gators also fell at home against South Florida.

Manning is not untalented. He can scramble, launch bonkers throws on the move, and give us brief glimpses of the generational talent we all thought him to be. But he needs time. The Texas offense is just not consistent nor particularly explosive right now, largely because Manning — shock! — might actually be less impactful than his predecessor, Quinn Ewers.

The Athletic's NFL Draft expert, Nick Baumgardner, believes the page has officially turned on Manning as a 2026 prospect. Expect NFL teams to start scouting him for 2027, or even 2028.

"There hasn’t been any consistency from Manning, and the rough stretches are legitimately bad," Baumgardner writes. "He can go from looking completely overwhelmed one series to ripping a shot into a super-tight window the next, but he’s getting stuck on his first read way too often and some of the hits he’s taking are his own fault. I think he’ll grow from Saturday’s performance. But he’s still a long way from being ready for the next level."

Chiefs were never interested in Tyreek Hill reunion

Tyreek Hill suffered a stomach-churning leg injury on Monday Night Football last week, which raises serious questions about his future. The veteran wideout tore multiple ligaments and now won't return until 2026, likely on a new team. The Miami Dolphins can't trade him now, but puts a ton of Kansas City Chiefs speculation to bed. But in reality, that speculation was never rooted in real-life possibility.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Chiefs never "never considered [reuniting with Hill] a real option." Kansas City began the season 0-2, but the Chiefs have since put together a couple commanding victories, with Patrick Mahomes beginning to develop a rapport with his top wideouts. Xavier Worthy was dominant in Week 4 and Rashee Rice, their true No. 1 wideout, is eligible to return from suspension in Week 7. That's not far off.

In fact, many in the building believe Rice is straight-up better than Hill, and that his return will negate any and all questions about the Kansas City wide receiver room.

"He’s better than any trade we could make,” a team source told The Athletic. “People don’t realize how good he is."

This is fair enough. Hill was always a smidge too expensive for the Chiefs anyway, and after he basically self-sabotaged the end of his Dolphins tenure, it's unclear if Kansas City would actually benefit from a reunion. Times change, people change, but the Chiefs' expectations do not. This team still has its sights set on the Super Bowl, and there's belief in the building that this group can get the job done.

Eagles won't trade A.J. Brown despite frustration with role

A.J. Brown caught 2-of-9 targets last Sunday for seven yards in the Philadelphia Eagles' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And that has been the story of the Eagles' season so far. Philly is 4-0 with wins over multiple quality opponents, but that comes in spite of a sluggish offense. New OC Kevin Patullo is clearly working out the kinks in his approach after taking over for Kellen Moore. And naturally, we can't go four weeks without More Jalen Hurts Discourse, because the Super Bowl MVP is too unselfish for most national pundits to wrap their heads around.

Brown has 14 catches for 151 yards and one touchdown through four weeks, which is just not the production we've come to expect from the three-time Pro Bowl wideout. It's not really a lack of targets — Brown has received six-plus targets in three straight weeks — but Philadelphia is not stretching the field much. They are playing it safe and Hurts has struggled to establish a consistent connection with Brown, even if the target share is healthy on the surface.

That has led the 28-year-old to express his frustrations on social media.

While teams are naturally checking in to see if the Eagles might cut bait with their star wideout, Philadelphia in unsurprisingly rebuffing those advances.

"Despite any speculation to the contrary, the Eagles are not trading wide receiver A.J. Brown by the NFL’s Tuesday’s Nov. 4 trade deadline, per sources," wrote ESPN's Adam Schefter on Threads.

Brown wants more red zone targets. He wants to let Jalen Hurts rip it more frequently, rather than dinking and dunking their way to points on every possession. Those are fair criticisms. He's not really wrong, even if the Birds are 4-0, which makes it difficult to earnestly criticize their process. The Eagles are so good that even when they are out of sync, even actively disgruntled, division leaders like Tampa and Los Angeles can't keep up.

Philadelphia needs to get Brown back on track and bought in, but it feels like winning will keep any real drama at bay. Now, if the Eagles start dropping games, then the fireworks will begin.