Receiver A.J. Brown won’t be playing for the Eagles today, due to a hamstring injury. He’s also reportedly not expected to be playing for any other team this year.
Unless, of course, someone makes the Eagles an offer they can’t refuse.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the Eagles are “not expected” to send Brown to a new team before the trade deadline in nine days.
It’s a story that feels more than a little stale on the surface, given that Brown’s performance against the Vikings a week ago seemed to put out the smoke and/or fire of a potential trade. In the days before the Week 7 game, we beat the bushes with “sources” as to the possibility of a trade, and the word was that it’s not happening. We didn’t do anything with it because, frankly, there still seemed to be a chance the Eagles would struggle again to find a passing game, Brown would continue to be frustrated, and the Eagles would decide to maximize the return for the balance of Brown’s contract instead of continuing to work to keep the locker room properly aligned.
The Eagles, if they chose to do so, could create a potential frenzy among AFC contenders who would potentially offer too much both to get Brown — and to keep him away from another potential playoff team. Imagine, if you will, the Eagles making Brown available and teams like the Bills, Steelers, Colts, Patriots, Broncos, Chargers, and perhaps even the Chiefs getting involved.
For now, though, the situation seems to have quieted down. Quarterback Jalen Hurts had a perfect passer rating against Minnesota, becoming only the third quarterback in team history to finish a game at the magic (and highly specific) number of 158.3 based on at least 10 pass attempts. (Nick Foles did it in 2013, and Donovan McNabb did it in 2007.)
And here’s where it gets interesting. Although the headline is that the Eagles are “not expected” to trade Brown, Schefter’s report expressly leaves the door open for a “blockbuster” offer to get the Eagles’ attention.
Frankly, this report may be nothing more than a carefully baited hook, aimed at getting someone to make that kind of offer without the Eagles having to deal with the potential reaction by Brown to news that they’re shopping him.
There’s no need to shop Brown if it a story can be planted that they’re not shopping him — and that they won’t. But they will still trade him if someone shows up with enough to get them to say, “OK.”
That may be the real takeaway on this one. The Eagles are deliberately not shopping Brown. But, based on the report, Brown is not untouchable. If someone like the Bills, Steelers, Colts, Patriots, Broncos, Chargers, and perhaps even the Chiefs want to made an over-the-top offer for Brown, the Eagles definitely won’t hang up the phone.