A.J. Brown's former Eagles teammates react to the trade: 'It's a business'

Jeff Neiburg, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jun 2, 2026

Published in Football

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PHILADELPHIA — It’s yearbook season, and there was some reminiscing about the past after the Eagles finished their practice Tuesday, one day after A.J. Brown was finally traded to the New England Patriots.

There was no scribbling of that corny “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” quote long misattributed to Dr. Seuss in the empty pages of the back of the yearbook. It didn’t seem like anyone popped a Semisonic CD into a Walkman and drowned their sorrows in the lyrics from “Closing Time” that sum up the changing seasons: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

Football, Brown’s former teammates understand, is about more than what happens on the field.

“He was a great teammate in our locker room, but there’s a business side to this thing,” said Cooper DeJean.

“Business is business,” said DeVonta Smith, who is now the No. 1 receiver in town.

That was the overarching response to the trade from the four Eagles made available for interviews after Tuesday’s practice session during a week of organized team activities.

There was also a sense of relief.

“It sounds terrible, but thank God it’s over,” Jordan Mailata said. “The slow pain of, is he in, is he out? We didn’t really know. That really wasn’t our focus as a team. Our team, especially the offense, we got to keep these wheels moving. We got new guys coming in, we’ve got rookies coming in. We’ve got to build that culture.”

The Eagles are moving on without Brown for the first time since the team acquired him via a draft-day trade in 2022. His production over the last four seasons — 339 catches, 5,034 yards, 32 touchdowns — won’t easily be replaced, and it remains to be seen how the new offense under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion will look without Brown on the roster.

While there was an understanding that business is business, Brown will be missed.

“Some things you look back and … we had a good time here," Smith said. “We had a great time here. The things that we did, the things we accomplished on the field and off the field, you always cherish those moments.”

DeJean and his fellow rookie class of 2024 cornerback Quinyon Mitchell were both pushed by Brown. Mitchell’s first taste of life in the NFL came during battles at OTAs and training camp against Brown.

“That’s my big brother,” Mitchell said Tuesday. “I wish him nothing but the best. It’s a business. He helped me grow my game and gain more confidence. I’m thankful for him and I love him as a big brother.”

It was Brown who last year gave DeJean the nickname “All-Pro Coop.” DeJean said Brown first brought up DeJean becoming an All-Pro this time last year during OTAs.

“He kind of pushed me, especially in training camp going against each other,” DeJean said.

DeJean and Mitchell should have their chance at a reunion of sorts when the Eagles and Patriots link up for joint practice sessions in August in Massachusetts.

Both parties “did what was best for them,” DeJean said of the trade. Brown’s dissatisfaction with the Eagles’ offense at times over the last two seasons did not have any spillover effect, according to DeJean.

“I don’t think it really bothered us in the locker room at all,” he said. “Obviously he’s a great player. That stuff is out of my control. I don’t really deal with it. Obviously it sucks to lose a great player like him, but now we’re moving on to the season.”

There’s plenty else to focus on, as Mailata noted.

“Every year it’s, can we continue the culture of the last five years that we’ve built?” Mailata said. “Can we bring these new guys along? Can we bring these young guys along? Our jobs are already hard enough. It’s the mindset of just pushing on and not letting the A.J. … what do we even call it, debacle?"

There are plenty of words for it, but Mailata’s earlier answer may describe it best: “over.”