The Philadelphia Eagles may be 4-0, but the discourse around the team certainly doesn't feel like a team with a perfect record. The offense has been underwhelming, to say the least, and the brewing frustrations of players have been made public throughout the week. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is under heavy scrutiny, and star wide receiver AJ Brown has been at the center of it all.
On Saturday, the AJ Brown saga took another unexpected turn. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that teams around the league are monitoring the situation in Philadelphia and are hoping to pounce on the opportunity to acquire Brown. Rival executives are reportedly watching, and according to Russini, one GM said, "They are paying roughly $50 million to two wide receivers (Brown and Smith), and they aren’t even that involved. They may move on simply because Philly is a run-heavy team".
AJ Brown Trade Buzz Is Growing as Offensive Frustrations Mount
Star wide receivers who don't get the ball enough are usually frustrated; that is nothing new. Brown finished Week 4 with two catches for seven yards, his lowest yardage output in three years. His frustration is understandable, especially after having a one-catch, eight-yard outing in Week 1 against the Cowboys. 14 catches for 151 yards and one score in four weeks is Brown's worst start to a season ever, and he is now on pace to have his first below-1,000-yard season as an Eagle.
The tricky part here is that Brown isn't necessarily lacking in targets. He has been targeted 27 times over the last three weeks. Jalen Hurts is clearly looking his way, but Brown is seemingly not getting the touches in situations he prefers. Russini reported that a rival head coach said, "It’s not about the quantity. It’s about the type of targets and the situations he’s in. That’s why he’s frustrated," referring to Brown.
This puts significant pressure on Patullo. It is his responsibility to keep both Brown and DeVonta Smith happy, engaged, and motivated. Whether it's more creativity in play-calling, better adjustments to what the defense is giving them, or simply making more of an effort to get the wideouts involved early, something obviously has to change.
If it doesn't, the trade buzz will only get louder. If Brown continues to be a headache for the Eagles even when the team continues to rack up wins, there may come a point where the juice is not worth the squeeze.
Brown is the fifth-highest paid WR in the league in terms of total guaranteed money, and he is under contract until the end of the 2029 season. If teams are indeed lining up to trade for him and are willing to give up significant draft capital, GM Howie Roseman may be forced to move him if things don't improve soon. Whether it comes to that will depend on how the anemic Eagles offense looks over the next few weeks until the trade deadline.