The Eagles are looking forward now that A.J. Brown is no longer a member of the organization, but the reaction was mixed on Tuesday, with offensive tackle Jordan Mailata even telling reporters, “thank God it’s over.”
The trade that sent Brown to the Patriots finally came together on Monday after months of speculation about his future in the City of Brotherly Love.
And now that the deal is complete, the feeling from Mailata is that everyone can begin to move forward.
“I think this is more of a — it sounds terrible — but like, thank God it’s over,” he told reporters Tuesday. “It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out? We didn’t really know, and that really wasn’t our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense. But we got to keep these wheels moving, we got new guys coming in, we got rookies coming in again, we got to build that culture every year.”
The trade came after a frustrating 2025 season for Brown, who made his unhappiness with the Eagles’ offense known.
He finished the season with 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, although it was the lowest yardage mark of his career.
But the 28-year-old’s overall stats during his tenure in Philadelphia, which included a Super Bowl title in 2025, showed the impact he had on the field.
He had two seasons with more than 1,400 receiving yards, and during his four seasons in Philadelphia, Brown had 339 catches for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns.
The value he had for the Eagles left many of their fans grateful for his time in Philly, including “Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star and devoted Eagles fan Rob Mac.
“I am so grateful for the memories that A.J. brought to the Eagles,” Mac said during a media call for the American Century Championship celebrity tournament. “I believe in [Eagles general manager] Howie Roseman, and if Howie believes that’s what’s best for the Philadelphia Eagles, then I support it 100 percent. But man, he’s a great player and I wish him luck, not too much luck.”
The Eagles will focus on turning the corner after being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the 49ers.