The Philadelphia Eagles just signed DeVonta Smith to a massive extension, leading some to believe that the team could trade superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown in a corresponding move. After all, teams rarely hand out big money to a quarterback and two wide receivers, and the trio of Smith, Brown, and quarterback Jalen Hurts all rank among the highest-paid at their respective positions. On Thursday, A.J. Brown only added fuel to that fire with some interesting activity on Twitter and Instagram.
Seemingly out of nowhere, A.J. Brown changed his Twitter photo to former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Tom Brady and recently followed current Patriots Jacoby Brissett and K.J. Osbourne. While Brady is retired, the seven-time Super Bowl champion recently said he’d be open to coming back in an emergency, specifically calling out the Patriots as a potential team. Reading between the lines, one could assume that Brady said this as a subtle invite for teams to reach out to him.
While these types of speculations are always fun, A.J. Brown quickly took to Twitter to clarify that he was not hinting at a trade or Brady’s return. Rather, the wide receiver was simply trying to pay tribute to his “favorite player ever.”
TB12 is my favorite player ever.
I watch the dynasty and it brought back some memories from my childhood.
Go look up what he did in 2015 when he was doubted/ disrespected.
Yeah I see the disrespect.
Motivated … yes. That’s it
I Did not think changing my pfp to the greatest…— AJ BROWN (@1kalwaysopen_) April 18, 2024
A.J. Brown Clarifies Controversial Twitter Post, Tom Brady Connection
To the dismay of Patriots fans, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. While Brown has expressed frustration with his current team both in interviews and on Twitter, the wide receiver’s current contract ensures that he’ll be with the Eagles for at least one more season. According to OverTheCap, Philadelphia would lose over $9 million in cap space to trade him before June 1st and only save $5.65 million if they wait until after June 1st to get a deal done. Seeing as the Eagles are all-in on their current window, they have no reason to trade the superstar wideout.
If a trade is going to happen, it’ll probably be in 2025. New year, A.J. Brown carries a $26.5 million cap hit and the Eagles can save upwards of $19 million with a trade. As for Tom Brady, if he’s going to come back, it would probably be in the middle of the season if a contender loses their starting quarterback for an extended period of time.
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta – USA Today Sports
