All Eyes on Number 11: What Will the Eagles Do?
As rumors flood through the NFL, we skip past the majority of them to sleep better at night, except this one. The Philadelphia Eagles took another devastating loss against the New York Giants this past Thursday night at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles lost 34-17 against a Giants team, sitting fourth in the NFC East, while they are currently sitting at number one. This loss had a lot of talk going around town. After the game, A.J. Brown, Saquon Barkley, and Jalen Hurts decided to have a small conversation. What could they have talked about?
As speculation continues to grow, people are curious about what will happen with the Eagles receiver. With the trade deadline still a month away, there are plenty of questions and concerns being raised about this rumor. Brown stated in an X post that it wasn’t a players-only meeting; they had just talked in a parking lot, but that isn’t enough to shut the rumor down completely. Even with Brown denying that the conversation after the game wasn’t anything serious, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Back-to-back losses for the Eagles have captured the eyes of the league, but not in a positive way.
A.J.Brown has always been a consistent, strong, powerful player. He is always finding open routes, getting through traffic, physical in the catch point, and relentless in competing. Having a winning, hardworking, and talented team behind him has only helped lift him as a player on and off the field, but with the same fire that makes him special, it can easily be perceived as frustration when the offense sputters, especially in losses like Thursday’s.
The Super Bowl Champion has been quiet on his side. Having closed off conversations with teammates where the public can see isn’t always going to roll over positively. Silence doesn’t always signal trouble — sometimes it’s just focus. The Eagles have been very straightforward when showing no signs of trading Brown; they have a good system going right now with a 4-2 record this season, coming off a championship. If the Eagles' front office did decide to trade Brown, it would have to be worth it. Brown has a reputation that most players can’t uphold, so giving that up would take a lot. Not saying conversations haven’t been entertained, but there is a difference between listening and acting on it.
As of right now, the situation feels like smoke lingering in the air. With nothing set in stone and the Eagles not showing any signs of trading him happening anytime soon, you can expect to see Brown representing the Eagles. If Brown can step out on that field next week against the Vikings and show dominance, giving his team a huge comeback, this rumor will be shut down, but if Brown goes out and plays with low physicality like he has been the past couple of weeks, then maybe this rumor deserves more attention. One thing is for certain: all eyes will be on number 11 next Sunday.
