No one is going to be surprised if this is the last season we see wide receiver A.J. Brown in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform.
Brown, for all of his talent, has become a locker room cancer of the worst kind. When the Eagles win, he complains. When the Eagles lose, he complains.
“If you’re always in the news for saying something about your role on the team, it’s a problem,” Sunday Night Football color commentator Cris Collinsworth said during the Eagles’ win over the Detroit Lions in Week 11. “(Brown) is a constant distraction.”
That the rest of the team remains so unified is more of a testament to how the franchise has been constructed from the bottom up — and how mentally tough quarterback Jalen Hurts is — than anything else.
So, Brown’s time is likely coming to an end. Most likely via a trade for another high impact wide receiver or an elite edge rusher.
Which means the Eagles would need to replace Brown in the NFL draft, where ESPN’s Matt Miller projects they’ll take University of Alabama star Germie Bernard.
“The Eagles rarely draft for pure need in Round 1, opting for players who slip through the cracks and could be plugged in future use,” Miller wrote on November 19 in his latest mock draft. “That’s the case with Bernard, a dynamic receiver who could assume the slot role immediately and potentially replace A.J. Brown down the road. Bernard lines up all over Alabama’s offense as a runner and receiver; he has eight touchdowns, 48 catches and 676 yards from a variety of alignments. While he’s built like a running back at 6-1 and 204 pounds, Bernard is an explosive route runner. He has shown tough hands in contested-catch situations and uses crafty moves to create space.”
Bernard’s Circuitous College Career Ends in SEC
If we’re looking for red flags on Bernard, we can start with the fact that Alabama is his third college he’s played for following stops at Michigan State and Washington.
In Bernard’s defense, he did leave both schools as the head coaches he played for were leaving town, including when he followed former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer when he left the Huskies to be the head coach for Alabama following the 2023 season and an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
“I’m high on Germie Bernard,” The Ringer’s Todd McShay said before the 2025 season. “6’1, 210, runs a 4.5 estimated (40 yard dash) … Made a big jump in 2023 at UW. He had 34 catches, 419, 12.3 (yards per catch). And, you’ve got to remember, that’s a guy who, their three wide receivers were Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Rome Odunze so, like, yeah, we can excuse the production.”
Eagles Still Have Superstar WR in Place
Even if the Eagles do jettison Brown and the 3-year, $96 million contract extension he signed before the 2024 season, they’ll still have star power in place to pick up the slack.
That’s because the Eagles have veteran wide receiver DeVonta Smith catching passes. Smith, who signed a 3-year, $75 million contract extension before the 2024 season, leads the Eagles with 49 receptions for 665 yards and 3 touchdowns and already has a pair of 1,000-yard receiving seasons under his belt playing alongside Brown.
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