The NFL’s new league year doesn’t open until Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p.m. ET. That’s when teams can officially sign free agents and complete trades – but trades certainly can be agreed upon at any time and one actually has been on Thursday, Feb. 26 between the Jets and Titans. One of the big stories in the NFL this week was regarding the status of Eagles Pro Bowl wideout A.J. Brown and whether he returns to the City of Brotherly Love. We have odds from DraftKings Sportsbook on his next team.
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You likely remember during the 2022 NFL Draft when the Eagles got Brown from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the 18th and 101st overall picks. That was an utter heist for Philly as the Titans took wideout Treylon Burks at No. 18 and he was a major bust and isn’t even with the franchise anymore.
Following the trade, Brown signed a four-year, $100 million extension with $57 million guaranteed. And he has been worth it with four straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving, the first Eagles player to accomplish that feat. He’s also had at least seven touchdown grabs in each season.
Brown clearly grew unhappy last season when the Philadelphia offense struggled as a whole, and his numbers were down a bit. The Eagles finished with their lowest scoring average (22.3), yards per game (311.2) and rush yards per game (116.9) under Nick Sirianni. Thanks to its defense, Philly had six wins while finishing with less than 300 yards of offense. Those were the most such wins in that scenario since the 2007 Chicago Bears. The Eagles had three wins when scoring fewer than 20 points, their most such since 2007.
Brown had zero receptions in a half seven times last season. That happened just once in 2024. He was clearly angry on the sidelines multiple times and there were a few arguments to be seen on TV with Sirianni and others as Brown openly expressed his frustration with the offensive operation. He reportedly was shopped ahead of the trade deadline, but the Eagles weren’t going to just give the 28-year-old away as they still thought they were contenders to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
This week, Sirianni said at the NFL Combine that he wanted Brown back next season but neither he nor general manager Howie Roseman committed to that. Roseman said the team would entertain trade offers for Brown.
“Will A.J. be here next season? I think we’re still in a spot, like, I can’t guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season. I’m thinking I’m going to be the coach next season, but you can’t guarantee anything past tomorrow,” Sirianni said.
The Eagles would absorb a dead cap hit of over $40 million if they dealt Brown before June 1, compared with less than $20 million if a trade is consummated after that date — thus, we probably don’t see anything happen at least before the draft. The team acquiring Brown would be responsible for his $29 million salary in 2026.
Sportsbooks word these player prop futures differently. Some will phrase it as “Which is A.J. Brown’s next team if not the Eagles?” DraftKings simply asks for Brown’s team for next season and includes Philly as the -175 favorite. However, it feels like there’s too much smoke there for Brown to return.
A.J. Brown next team odds (via DraftKings)
New England is the clear non-Eagles favorite at +275 and that makes so much sense. For one thing, you know the Eagles would like to ship Brown out of the NFC so he can’t torment them in a future postseason. Secondly, the Pats badly need playmakers at wideout, which was made very evident in the blowout loss to Seattle in Super Bowl 60. Brown began his NFL career with current Pats coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee and they are still tight. So if Brown has a say in the matter, this marriage makes a lot of sense.
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Veteran Stefon Diggs had a solid year for the Pats and became the team’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019, but he might be released for salary cap reasons. Diggs will see his base salary increase from $2.9 million in 2025 to $20.6 million in 2026 and 2027. His salary cap number jumps from $10.5 million last year to $26.5 million in each of the next two seasons. The 32-year-old really isn’t worth that these days.
On Monday when I first saw these odds, the Los Angeles Chargers weren’t near the top of the board at +2000 but are now +700 as there is currently two times more handle and bets on the Bolts than the next most-wagered club. Justin Herbert has one good wideout in Ladd McConkey, but he’s more of a possession guy and not the red-zone threat the 6-2, 225-pound Brown is. Los Angeles has a ton of cap space and wideout Keenan Allen is a free agent.
Buffalo (+900) needs a No. 1 wideout more than New England does and obviously trading for Brown would keep him from its AFC East rivals. Since Diggs left Buffalo after the 2023 season, the Bills have not had a receiver cross the 1,000-yard mark. Would the Eagles accept the Bills’ first-round pick sitting at No. 26 overall as adequate compensation?
Tennessee (+1000), Las Vegas (+1400) and Miami (+1800) seem like non-starters as all are light years from contention, so why bother giving up assets for a 28-year-old? The Dolphins have risen from +1000 since Monday.
Baltimore (+1600) and San Francisco (+1800) offer contending situations. Adding Brown to Zay Flowers (88 catches, 1,211 yards, five TDs in 2025) would give the Ravens a stellar 1-2 punch at wideout around Lamar Jackson. And Brown has a relationship with Derrick Henry from their Titans days.
My value pick would be Buffalo as the Bills need to capitalize on Josh Allen’s window while he’s still playing at an MVP level. With the beating Allen takes due to his physical running style, a major injury could happen at any time. Brandon Beane is also under quite a bit of pressure to win in 2026 after mega-successful coach Sean McDermott was fired and Beane was kept. R.J. White has already broken down 2026 NFL win totals, and Brown likely would add a half-win to certain clubs if dealt.
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