Copyright sportskeeda
A.J. Brown had been the subject of trade rumors amidst speculation about his unhappiness with the diminution of his role in the Philadelphia Eagles' offense. But two days after the deadline, he is still with the team, and he has some thoughts to share.On Thursday, the three-time Pro Bowler said when asked about not being traded:"It's the nature of business, but like I said, my focus was to be present with my family and kids, get healthy."He also claimed that he would be ready to play after a hamstring injury sidelined him in the Week 8 win against the New York Giants. He concluded after being asked whether he wanted to remain an Eagle:"Has I said anything to not being here or something like that."On Tuesday, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke up on why Brown was not traded:“I think that when you’re trying to be a great team, it’s hard to trade great players. And A.J. Brown is a great player. He wears the ‘C’ for a reason. He’s [an] important part of this team, of this organization. He cares about winning. He cares about his teammates.“I think that when you’re a team like ours that is looking forward to an opportunity to compete for a championship, you just don’t get rid of the guys like that. And so, I feel very lucky to have him on our team and excited about the second half of the season with him.”Three teams already linked to A.J. Brown after trade deadlineJust because the deadline has passed does not mean A.J. Brown will not remain a trade target. There is still the offseason for the Eagles to get a deal done, with Bleacher Report's Joe Moton writing:"Looking ahead, the Eagles could trade Brown for a first-round pick and an additional selection, then draft his replacement, as the Tennessee Titans did when they traded him to Philadelphia in 2022."And he thinks at least three teams have a shot.First are the Carolina Panthers. The once much-maligned franchise has been seeing a mini-turnaround behind Bryce Young, going above .500 for the first time since 2021. They already have first-round youngsters in Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan, but adding a true big-play man like Brown should bolster their chances of contending for the crown in 2026.Next are the New York Jets, who recently underwent a mini-fire sale by trading away All-Pro/Pro Bowl defenders Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. With their monstrous contracts off the books, they now have some space to add a proven playmaker beside Garrett Wilson.And finally, the Baltimore Ravens could lose DeAndre Hopkins in free agency after this season, so they may want a veteran presence beside Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers.
