Rumors and reports are now circulating that the Jacksonville Jaguars are now entering potential trade discussions with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jaguars aren’t the only team being floated around as a potential trade partner for Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, either. Recently, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs were also named as teams that could be interested in getting Brown. But are these teams truly interested in A.J. Brown?
A.J. Brown to the Jaguars?
NFL Insider James Palmer says Howie Roseman will keep shopping his star WR with teams other than the Patriots 👀@JamesPalmerTV | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/uRU9ykRyht
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 19, 2026
Are these latest inquiries passing the smell test? Or could there be another reason why, all of a sudden, more interesting is coming up over Brown after a quiet period? Looking at each team rumored to be linked to the Eagles now, it feels like there’s more afoot from Howie Roseman.
The San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers being interested in Brown, at this point in the offseason, makes little sense. For starters, they have already invested a significant amount of money into picking up Mike Evans during the free agency period. Make no mistake. Adding A.J. Brown to Mike Evans would surely be a tough, while admittedly older, wide receiver tandem to play against in the NFL. However, there is a downside to having two older wide receivers on a team that has been notoriously plagued with injuries over the last few seasons. Couple that with the fact that the 49ers also added Christian Kirk during the free agency period.
Not to mention still having Ricky Pearsall on the roster and drafting second-round Ole’ Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling.
The 49ers already have a ton of wide receivers to play with. Adding Brown, especially at the cost the Eagles reportedly want (a first-round selection and possibly more), makes little sense. The 49ers can’t even move Brandon Aiyuk. Putting Aiyuk in a trade for the Brown makes no sense either. The Eagles already added a ton of wide receiver help in Elijah Moore, Hollywood Brown, and Dontayvion Wicks. Let’s not forget that they drafted Makai Lemon. The Eagles are good at wide receiver with Devonta Smith, who will be the number one receiver, if and when Brown is traded.
The #49ers have Emerged as an Unexpected Potential Landing Spot in the A.J. Brown Trade Sweepstakes, per several reports
YES or NO – Would you trade draft capital & potentially Brandon Aiyuk to the Eagles for AJ Brown? pic.twitter.com/vRcqlDrpPg
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) May 18, 2026
The Jacksonville Jaguars
The team that the national media is circling their wagons around as an oppositional trade partner to the New England Patriots. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ narrative does make sense at first glance. They finished with a 13-4 record, winning the AFC South division. Trevor Lawrence took a step forward under new head coach Liam Coen in his first season with the team. Arming Lawrence with another viable receiver like Brown could push the Jaguars over the edge into a deeper postseason run. It really makes sense. One thing that is being heavily mentioned is Brian Thomas Jr. as a piece to acquire Brown. Does that make sense? On one hand, you could move off of a receiver who regressed in his second year in the league after posting a 1,200+ yard season in his rookie year.
But the Jaguars have already taken the stance that they would rather work with Thomas to bring him back on board than to trade him.
Trading a young wide receiver that is under contractual control for the next few seasons makes no sense. Especially when you’re getting a receiver who is knocking on 30’s door soon. Brown is still capable of playing at a high level, so let that be clear. But adding an older receiver on a larger contract when you already have an older wide receiver on the roster in Jakobi Meyers, doesn’t it add up? The Jaguars were able to put together a stellar season without having to add a premier wideout. And flipping Thomas instead of getting him back on track seems like an easier and less costly affair than giving up assets in a trade.
The Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been a team consistently involved in rumors of adding a wide receiver this offseason. Even more recent developments with the Chiefs’ wide receivers may prompt them to add a wide receiver or trade for a guy like Brown. Rashee Rice has once again seen himself enter the NFL news cycle. Rice was on probation after the 2024 multi-car crash incident that also landed him a six-game suspension. Now this latest violation will land Rice in jail for the next 30-days, forcing him to miss the Chiefs’ OTA program and mandatory mini-camp.
#Chiefs WR Rashee Rice violated his probation after testing positive for marijuana (THC) and has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail.
He was booked this afternoon in Dallas County, Texas, and will be released from custody on June 16. That timeline means he’ll miss OTAs and… pic.twitter.com/TX56TTfKeY
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 19, 2026
With this latest news on Rice, the Chiefs could ramp up activity to add another wide receiver to the team. Rice recently stated that he wanted to be one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league. If his behaviors continue to trend in this direction, the Chiefs may opt to move on from the troubled wide receiver. Adding Brown would add a veteran wide receiver presence that the team hasn’t had in a while. The question would be, what would the Chiefs give up to get A.J. Brown? Adding Brown to a team that has Patrick Mahomes on it is a gold standard move. Maybe they can flip Rice in the deal to get Brown, but as was mentioned earlier in the article, the Eagles don’t really need another wide receiver after the offseason moves they have made.
What This All Really Means
While these teams are being speculated as potential trade targets, you have to admit that this smells of Howie Roseman. This is what makes Roseman one of the deadliest general managers in the NFL. While it is possible that a new team could emerge as a potential trade partner not named the New England Patriots, the likely move is that Roseman is putting this noise out there to get more from the Patriots. Roseman does not strike many as a manager who would move away from the wishes of his players if they want a trade. It’s easy to speculate why Brown has been rather quiet on his end with all the trade speculation floating around.
But that doesn’t mean Roseman isn’t without a few last-minute tricks. It only makes sense for Roseman to try and get as much as he can in a trade for Brown, whether it’s from the Patriots or another team willing to get in the mix. Right now, it still feels like the Patriots are in the driver’s seat. It’s a landing spot that Brown wants to go to, and Mike Vrabel is his former head coach during their time with the Tennessee Titans. June 1st is fast approaching, and the excitement is starting to build during the slow-moving part of the offseason. Wherever Brown ends up, the NFL community will be talking all the way up to Week 1’s kickoff time.
