‘I’m Going To Miss Him’: Cooper DeJean Said the Quiet Part Out Loud About A.J. Brown

It’s clear that Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown will likely be playing for another team next season. Many believe that the Eagles already have a trade in place with the New England Patriots that can become official after June 1st. Yet the Eagles and Brown have tried their hardest to keep any potential move under wraps.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has consistently said that Brown “is an Eagle” when asked about the situation throughout the offseason. According to Shreeya Patel (@shreeyapatel131 on X), Brown echoed the same message to one of the kids at his football camp on May 3rd: “I’m an Eagle,” Brown said. It’s clear that both sides are in sync with a divorce likely coming soon.

Despite the best efforts of both Roseman and Brown, Eagles All-Pro cornerback Cooper DeJean may have said the quiet part out loud. In a recent interview with John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia on “Takeoff with John Clark,” DeJean was asked about his close friendship with Brown and the future of one of his favorite teammates in Philadelphia.

(Watch Clark’s full interview with DeJean here: https://youtu.be/EvV6w-BgQ_E?si=aXf-V3YoAqGfQBcG)

“We talk pretty often still. Obviously, he’s a great teammate, a great friend of mine so nothing will change the way I think about A.J,” DeJean said. “Obviously it’s a business and everybody has to do what’s best for them. I know whatever happens, he will always be a close friend of mine and we’ll see what happens in the next few months.”

DeJean’s tone certainly appeared somber as he talked as if Brown’s departure was a near certainty. The 23-year-old tried to backtrack a bit by mentioning that he’ll see what happens in the next few months. But DeJean’s answer to Clark’s next question about if he’ll miss going against Brown in practice gave it away.

“Absolutely. I’m going to miss him, just seeing him in the building, you know, if he’s gone,” DeJean said. “But just seeing him out on the practice field and talking trash, those are some fun times. And just learning from him too. He instilled confidence in me and that’s something that I’ll always appreciate.”

Once again, DeJean started talking as if Brown will no longer be with the team before attempting to patch up his initial response. Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith was also recently asked about Brown’s future at his charity softball game. It’s tough to see Brown’s teammates be put in this position to answer questions about his future in Philadelphia.

All of this tiptoeing around what is seemingly an obvious situation could be avoided if the NFL allowed teams to execute trades with a post-June 1 designation. The league allows each team to release up to two players per year with that designation, yet won’t allow teams to execute trades with the same label.

It has essentially forced the Eagles and Brown into an awkward standoff since the start of the NFL’s new league year. This situation reminds me of when newly drafted NBA players are forced to wear the hat of a team that they’ll never play for. Luckily, this entire situation should be resolved in less than a month and DeJean’s recent comments only further validated that thinking.