One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ foes in Super Bowl LVII could have been a friend had things played out differently in the 2022 NFL offseason.
Speaking on the Raw Room Podcast with former NFL players Darren Bates and Jalen Collins, Eagles WR A.J. Brown revealed that a pair of teams had tried to acquire him before Philadelphia swooped in. One of the teams he mentioned was the New York Jets. The other team he mentioned was the Chiefs.
“An hour later, my agent called me and was like, ‘Hey, Philly is going to try and push for you.’ I be getting a couple of teams, like the Chiefs tried to get me,” Brown said. “A couple of other teams like the Jets, and all that stuff, but Philly made a strong push.”
Brown, of course, was an instant hit with the Eagles this season. He recorded 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors at the receiver position.
The most fascinating thing about all of this is the timing of it. We know that Brett Veach likes to leave no stone unturned, but when did he inquire about Brown in trade? At the time that the Eagles had traded for Brown, the Chiefs had already traded away Tyreek Hill, but they also had signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Were they looking at Brown as a complement to the players they signed or otherwise? There’s also the fact that Brown signed a four-year extension worth $100 million. Was Kansas City willing to pay him the big bucks or could that have been the impasse that led to a trade not happening?
We’ll probably never know the answers to these questions, but they’re certainly interesting to consider heading into the 2023 NFL offseason.
