Dec 4, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) runs the the ball against Tennessee Titans safety Andrew Adams (47) and cornerback Tre Avery (30) after a catch during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Bill Streicher
It's hard to classify the A.J. Brown trade as a "where were you?" moment because everyone was likely in the same spot. People were planted to their couches, staring at the TV, anxiously waiting to see who the Eagles were going to pick at No. 18 after trading up to take Jordan Davis minutes earlier.
Then came the news: the Eagles were trading with the Tennessee Titans for A.J. Brown. A wave of excitement and shock flooded social media as the Eagles acquired a bonafide No. 1 receiver for Jalen Hurts. Even then-Eagles center Jason Kelce couldn't hide it during a livestream with TNT's Adam Lefkoe:
To get Brown, the Eagles gave up the 18th overall pick and a third-round. Looking back after the Titans released Treylon Burks — the wide receiver the Titans took with the No. 18 pick — Monday, it's clear the Eagles got away with highway robbery.
Tennessee hoped Burks could be Brown's replacement. They were wrong. In three seasons with the Titans, Burks caught 53 passes for 699 yards, with one touchdown. In that same period, Brown had 261 catches, 4,031 yards, 25 touchdowns and a Super Bowl championship.
It feels wrong to compare the stats, because Brown is in a different stratosphere than most receivers, let alone Burks. Burks isn't the only decision that makes this trade so lopsided, though he's the centerpiece. The full details are pointed out by ESPN's Adam Schefter here:
A review of the trade that involved Treylon Burks, who now has been released. pic.twitter.com/wUy2hBxrMQ
The Titans put Burks in an unfair position from the start. Their impetus for trading Brown was they didn't want to give him an extension, as he entered the final year of his rookie deal, despite his production.
Howie Roseman saw an opportunity and swooped in. DeVonta Smith had an impressive rookie season with the Eagles, but the receiving corps still needed an extra boost. Enter, Brown.
When the Eagles acquired him, they handed the receiver a four-year, $100 million extension. They've since given Brown a second contract. Meanwhile, Burks didn't even play out his rookie deal with the Titans.
The story of the Brown trade gets even better if you fast forward eight months after the deal. Facing the Titans for the first time since they traded him, Brown went off in a Week 14 matchup during the 2023 season. He had eight catches, 119 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles pummeled Brown's former team 35-10:
Two days later, the Titans fired general manager Jon Robinson, who traded Brown away. Was he fired exclusively because of Brown's performance and the circumstances surrounding it? Probably not. At the time, the Titans were 7-5 and still in first place in the AFC South. It's not often GMs get fired mid-season, let alone when their team is in first place.
There were other poor decisions that led to Robinson being let go. Even after drafting Burks, the Titans still had the 26th overall pick, but they traded it to the New York Jets for a second, third and fifth-round pick. The Jets ended up drafting Jermaine Johnson, a promising defensive end, who had 7.5 sacks in 2023, but only played two games last season due to injury.
The Titans missed on all of their ensuing picks as well, which could've helped them stockpile talent.
Roger McCreary — a second-round selection — is the only one still with the organization. Even he only started seven games last year, and has a modest two career interceptions.
Nicholas Petit-Frere started 16 games as a rookie after being a third-round pick, but was suspended six games in 2023 for violating the NFL's gambling policy. He was in and out of the Titans' starting lineup last season, before they cut him in April.
Wide receiver Kyle Philips lasted just two seasons with the Titans before they moved on.
Three years later, the trade is already seen as one of the most lopsided in NFL history. Brown is on a Hall of Fame trajectory and has appeared in two Super Bowls with the Eagles. They're 37-10 in games where Brown has played.
On the other hand, Tennessee is 16-35 since Brown left and they were the worst team in the NFL last year.
Sometimes, it takes years and lots of nuance to decipher which teams won certain trades. With this one, it's pretty easy.
