Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has a clear reason why he is keeping one of his top players around.
Throughout the 2025 season, the three-time Pro Bowl wideout AJ Brown has been reported to be unhappy with the diminution of his role within the defending Super Bowl champions’ offense, to the point that he, quarterback Jalen Hurts, and running back Saquon Barkley allegedly had a private meeting, which he denied took place.
But on Tuesday, the trade deadline passed without him finding a new home. When asked for comment, Roseman said:
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“I think that when you’re trying to be a great team, it’s hard to trade great players. And A.J. Brown is a great player. He wears the ‘C’ for a reason. He’s [an] important part of this team, of this organization. He cares about winning. He cares about his teammates.”
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He continued:
“I think that when you’re a team like ours that is looking forward to an opportunity to compete for a championship, you just don’t get rid of the guys like that. And so, I feel very lucky to have him on our team and excited about the second half of the season with him.”
Across seven games, Brown has just 395 yards and three touchdowns on 29 catches.
Howie Roseman speaks up on trading for Jaelan Phillips
There was one trade that Howie Roseman did make, however.
On Monday, the Eagles sent a 2026 third-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for Jaelan Phillips. The move bolsters an edge-rushing unit that has seen much recent movement with the retirement of Za’Darius Smith and the return of Brandon Graham.
But as it turns out, the organization has been wanting Phillips for some time now. Roseman had wanted to draft him in 2021, but the GM had already traded up for DeVonta Smith at 10th, and Phillips went 18th to the Dolphins. Fortunately, he would eventually play for current defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in 2023, a dalliance that made acquiring him easier:
“I think I just said that discussion was real easy with Coach Fangio. … It really wasn’t a hard trade to make.”
Across nine games, Phillips has 25 tackles (15 solo), three sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Edited by Andre Castillo
