A.J. Brown had to have known the trade rumors were going to come following his latest antics.
After a two-catch, seven-yard outing in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Week 4 win over the Buccaneers, Brown took to social media to post the following verse from Mark 6:11: “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
Both Nick Sirianni and Brown have since clarified: the frustration is competitive, not a demand to leave, but that hasn’t stopped several analysts from proposing trades that would send Brown packing.
One that stands out is Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano’s pitch, which would send Brown to Denver for Marvin Mims Jr. and a third-round pick. Let’s unpack that idea.
SI’s Trade Proposal Swaps A.J. Brown for WR Marvin Mims Jr., 3rd-Round Pick
“I’m not exactly sure it should come down to this, but it’s clear that Brown isn’t happy being more of a run blocker than a dynamic pass catcher,” Manzano wrote on September 29, adding:
“The 28-year-old Brown has only 14 catches for 151 yards and one touchdown this season. As for the team, perhaps the cap relief and the Day 2 pick will aid the Eagles in the long run, because it’s difficult for the good teams to pay everyone. Then again, Hurts throwing to DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Mims isn’t good enough for the Eagles to capture back-to-back Super Bowls. This is a tricky one, but one worth monitoring because Brown is clearly frustrated with his role.”
The 23-year-old Mims has definite traits that would likely attract interest from other teams. As a rookie in 2023, he averaged 17.1 yards per catch, finishing with 22 catches for 377 yards and a TD. He followed with 39 grabs for 503 yards and six scores in 2024, then opened 2025 with 12 catches for 109 yards and a TD through four games, adding a 16-yard rushing TD on Monday night.
He has shown steady growth, and he’s also a two-time All-Pro returner. Mims led the NFL in punt-return average in 2024 (26 returns, 408 yards; 15.7 per) and was named first-team All-Pro as a returner, also getting a second-team nod as a rookie.
Eagles May Have to Make a Decision About Brown Very Soon
Mims is on year three of a four-year rookie deal with a 2025 cap hit around $1.66 million. Brown, by contrast, is on a three-year extension signed in April 2024 that averages $32 million per year and makes him one of the costliest non-QBs on the roster; he also carries a top-three Eagles cap hit in 2025.
With this trade, though, Philly would be swapping a true WR1 for a complementary speed piece. Brown finished with 1,496 yards and 11 TDs in 2022, 1,456 and seven TDs in 2023 and 1,079 yards and seven scores last year. Philadelphia would be betting that DeVonta Smith and Mims (plus the run game and whoever might be at TE) can replace Brown’s presence, not just his stat line. That’s a pretty big ask.
Sure, Mims would have multiphase value at a fraction of the cost, but this trade idea feels like a bridge too far. Brown is a better player by far, social media antics aside.