Eagles Trade for WR Dontayvion Wicks: What Does It Mean?
According to multiple reports, the Philadelphia Eagles are trading with the Green Bay Packers for wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. The Eagles are reportedly sending a 2026 fifth-round pick (153rd overall pick) and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Packers for Wicks. He will also sign a one-year, $12.5 million contract extension with the Eagles.
Wicks was heading into the fourth and final year of his rookie season and will now have an added year of security in Philadelphia. Wicks will turn 25-years old in June and showed plenty of flashes during his three seasons with the Packers. He will be reunited with two former Packers coaches in the City of Brotherly Love, offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and run game coordinator/tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey.
Mahaffey was the Packers wide receivers coach in each of the last two seasons before following Mannion to Philadelphia. Now the first-year offensive coordinator will have a familiar weapon to work with at wide receiver. The addition of Wicks and his subsequent contract extension is especially notable given the uncertain future of star wide receiver A.J. Brown.
The Eagles have now made three additions at wide receiver this offseason, as Wicks joins Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore in Philadelphia. Yet none of those additions hinted towards an eventual trade of Brown quite like the arrival of Wicks. Especially given that he signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract extension, although the Eagles likely structured it to limit Wicks’ cap hit in 2027 and beyond.
If the Eagles wait until after June 1st to trade Brown, it would allow the team to spread out the massive $43 million dead cap hit over two seasons instead of absorbing it all in 2026. Now that the Eagles have added another significant cap figure at wide receiver, it seems more likely than not that Philadelphia will eventually trade Brown this offseason.
Assuming that the Eagles trade Brown ahead of next season, they now have a solid trio of wide receivers in DeVonta Smith, (Hollywood) Brown and Wicks. Philadelphia’s latest addition brings some much-needed size and versatility to the wide receiver room. Despite being listed at 6’1” and 206 lbs., Wicks has played 39.3% of his career snaps in the slot, while playing 58.9% of his career snaps on the outside, according to Pro Football Focus.
It’s also worth noting that Wicks was regarded as Green Bay’s best blocking wide receiver. Philadelphia’s running game took a massive step back last season and the blocking from both the tight end room and the wide receiver room was certainly an issue. Following the arrival of Wicks, the Eagles are likely hoping for massive improvements in that area.
Now Eagles general manager Howie Roseman enters the 2026 NFL Draft with some optionality at wide receiver. Prior to trading for Wicks, Philadelphia may have been forced to reach for a wide receiver if they planned on trading Brown. Yet now Roseman can let the board fall as it may and keep his options open with a wide receiver trio of Smith, (Hollywood) Brown and Wicks secured for next season.