PHILADELPHIA -- There was a mixed reaction to receiver A.J. Brown's departure by his former Eagles teammates Tuesday, ranging from a sense of loss to relief that the saga is now in the rearview mirror.
"I think this is more of a -- it sounds terrible -- but like, thank God it's over. It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out?" left tackle Jordan Mailata said. "We didn't really know, and that really wasn't our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense."
Brown was traded to the New England Patriots on Monday in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. The move had been expected for weeks following a frustration-filled 2025 season during which Brown made his dissatisfaction with the Eagles' offense plainly known.
Brown, though, made a resounding impact during his four years in Philadelphia, complete with two seasons with 1,400-plus receiving yards, two trips to the Super Bowl and a world championship. He was also a force in the locker room, as players expressed Tuesday following practice.
"That's my big brother. I wish him nothing but the best," cornerback Quinyon Mitchell said. "He helped me grow in my game and gain more confidence, so I'm thankful for him and I love him as a big brother."
Fellow corner Cooper DeJean noted that Brown was the first to call him "All-Pro Coop" and pushed him to live up to the name, which eventually he did.
"Anytime you lose a great player like him, it hurts," DeJean said. "And he's a great friend of mine, he was a great teammate in our locker room. But there's a business side to this thing, so everybody did what was best for them."
The Eagles were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers following a down regular season offensively in which they tied for first in three-and-out drives (50) and 24th in total offense (311.2 YPG).
They have been busy learning a brand-new system under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion in an effort to get back on track. The players now officially know the challenge will be taken on without Brown.
"Yes, we can move on now," Mailata said. "I think most of us that have been here the last six weeks, we have moved on, just from, we have enough to worry about."