The Indianapolis Colts are coming up on a crucial offseason in which they will look to build around a talented, young quarterback. Sometimes, teams can further that process by acquiring a star wide receiver.
Even though it’s highly unlikely a situation like that will unfold for the Colts, the early offseason is the time to work through those proposals. One of the higher-end suggestions comes from Bleacher Report, which proposes the Colts look to trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Hypothetical Trade We’d Love to See: 2024 first-round pick (No. 15 overall) for WR A.J. Brown
More than anything, the Colts have to do everything they can to help Anthony Richardson succeed in his second season. The clock starts ticking for a rookie quarterback to prove they are the franchise guy the minute they are drafted, and his second year will be crucial. That means giving him enough playmakers to really get the offense going.
Over in Philadelphia, the season ended miserably, and there was speculation about A.J. Brown’s feelings toward the team, especially after he scrubbed his social media of all Eagles content.
The Colts have benefitted from giving up a first-round pick for a veteran before. That’s how they got Buckner, and he has helped their defense a lot. The Colts have cap space to make another aggressive move, and Brown, Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs would immediately become one of the most exciting receiver trios in the league.
So many factors would have to lead to this even becoming a remote possibility. First, the Colts must decide what to do with Michael Pittman Jr., who is slated to be a free agent. He deserves a new contract and likely will cost between $22-25 million per season.
Second, the Eagles would have to be willing to trade Brown. Despite some of the attention he brings on the sidelines in between drives, teams aren’t privy to letting talent like that go unless they feel there are no other options.
There’s also Brown’s contract to consider. He still has three years left on his current deal, and it’s incredibly backloaded. Brown has cap hits of $12.4 and $26.6 million over the next two seasons, respectively. In the final year of the contract, his cap hit skyrockets to $41.6 million.
That’s not an easy contract to stomach for a team that is hoping to give Anthony Richardson a big contract around that time—that would mean Richardson is reaching his ceiling.
There’s no denying the Colts could use an elite talent like Brown. He thrived in Shane Steichen’s offense in 2022 and would do so again if this hypothetical trade took place.
But for now, it’s much more likely this scenario stays in the realm of pipe dreams, barring a massive change in the relationship between Brown and the Eagles.
