NFL Insider: Rams Backed Out of A.J. Brown Trade Over Injury Concerns

In the end, when it came down to the brass tax of the Philadelphia Eagles trading away 3-time NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown, there were really only 2 serious candidates: the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.

In reality, though, it may have just been 1 team — the Patriots, where Brown ended up in exchange for a 2028 1st-round pick.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero revealed on The Bill Simmons Podcast that the Rams were initially hot on Brown in exchange for a package that included sending another 3-time NFL All-Pro wide receiver, Davante Adams, to the Eagles, but the Rams cooled on the deal.

The reason? Injury concerns over Brown’s supposedly balky knee.

“The Rams told Adams they were going to trade him for a long time, and they really wanted A.J. Brown, but they backed away because they were worried about Brown’s knee,” Pelissero said on August 18. “Which were some of the same concerns when (Brown) was traded from Tennessee (to the Eagles in 2022).”

Wait … A.J. Brown Has Knee Injury Issues?

The short answer: Yes. He’s just tough and has played through pain throughout his career, although the issues have come up more lately — he’s missed 7 regular-season games over the last 2 seasons after only missing 5 games, total, over the 1st 5 seasons of his career.

The knee issue is by far the most concerning for Brown, however, because it seems chronic — he’s had to have his right knee drained at least 3 times in his career to this point.

“Finally! The Eagles have agreed to trade three-time Pro Bowl WR A.J. Brown to the Patriots, who will send a 2028 1st-round pick and 2027 5th-round pick to Philadelphia, Pelissero wrote on his official X account on June 1. “After months of speculation, it’s about to be official: A.J. Brown is a Patriot.”

It was the 2nd time he’s been traded for a 1st-round pick — the Eagles sent a 1st-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for Brown before the 2022 season — a 4-year run that saw 2 Super Bowl appearances, 1 win, and 4 1,000-yard receiving seasons from Brown.

“New England was one of AJ Brown’s preferred destinations, in part because of (head coach) Mike Vrabel,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Monday. “Brown played for Vrabel from 2019-2021 with the Titans, and the two have maintained a connection beyond football, according to Vrabel.”

A.J. Brown’s Complicated Legacy With Eagles

While Brown will certainly be remembered for making plays with the Eagles, he’ll likely be more remembered for the discontent he sowed in his own locker room.

“Complicated tenure,” Bleacher Report’s James Palmer wrote on his official X account on Monday. “Very successful as well. In a short period of time, few WRs accomplished more than A.J. Brown in an Eagles jersey.”

In Philadelphia, Brown became known for what seemed like constant complaining about the offense over the last few years — specifically about the abilities (or lack thereof) of quarterback and Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts.

In New England, he’s now paired with arguably the NFL’s best young quarterback in 2024 No. 3 overall pick and 2025 NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye, who led the Patriots on a surprise run to the Super Bowl following the 2025 season.

The Eagles made an aggressive move at wide receiver after Brown’s exit — they traded up to draft USC wide receiver Makai Lemon in the 1st round (No. 20 overall) of the 2026 NFL draft.

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