Nick Sirianni Isn't Sure A.J. Brown Will Be With Eagles in 2026
Could the A.J. Brown saga with the Philadelphia Eagles be coming to an end this offseason? Nick Sirianni couldn't rule it out. Theirs has been a tumultuous but ultimately successful partnership. However, with both sides potentially a little bit disgruntled, the future is not at all guaranteed.
Nick Sirianni addresses A.J. Brown rumors
When asked about A.J. Brown at the NFL Combine, Nick Sirianni employed a little bit of coachspeak, which is to say he answered the question without providing a whole lot of insight or information, although it's fair to say that Sirianni doesn't know anything for sure.
"Yeah, my expectation is he wants to be here. And obviously you want good players like that in your building," Sirianni said via ESPN. "As Howie said, it's hard to get good players in this league. A.J.'s a great player and A.J. is a good teammate and A.J. is a good person. Does he want to be here? Yes. Do I want him to be here? Yes."
When asked specifically whether Brown would be on the team, he was a little less sure of himself. "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," he said.
Brown is under contract, and trading him would incur a decent dead cap hit. However, if the right package comes along, it might be a smart idea to get something for Brown before he potentially leaves for nothing in free agency.
Howie Roseman chimes in
Ultimately, it's not up to Nick Sirianni whether or not A.J. Brown stays on the Eagles. It's up to the wide receiver, but the final decision is GM Howie Roseman's to make. So far, he's not intimated that he's shopping Brown, but he has admitted that he's listening as he does all the time.
"I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything," he said. "If someone is going to give you something you didn't anticipate and you won't even have the conversation, I don't think you're necessarily doing your job or really servicing the team you're with.
What it truly comes down to is whether someone's going to blow Roseman away with an offer. Brown is supremely talented, so a desperate team might force his hand. "You never know what someone is willing to do. Certainly, we've been in situations where there were guys we didn't anticipate trading that we got an offer that was too good, and then you balance it with what you can get there," the GM revealed.
He refused to get into "specifics on any player," but he concluded that he is always listening and "always kind of open" to deals. Roseman is regarded as one of the best GMs in the sport, and part of that is a willingness to listen to anything and make moves that might not be popular.
"There's very few things that I would shoot down without even hearing what that means, because how does it hurt to listen?" he added. Whether or not Brown survives the offseason on the Eagles remains to be seen.
However, Roseman doesn't have plans to move him. Sirianni expects him to be around, and Brown said after the season that he views Philadelphia as home and is "fortunate" to be a member of this organization. This song and dance has happened a few times, but Brown has remained an Eagle and might survive this one.
