Predicting the Future for the Eagles Biggest Free Agents, A.J. Brown and Tanner McKee
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will certainly have his hands full this offseason. After the Eagles lost in the Wild Card Round of the postseason, Roseman will have to make several difficult decisions as Philadelphia attempts to retool for another Super Bowl run.
The Eagles will have several key starters hit the open market this offseason, headlined by Jaelan Phillips, Dallas Goedert, Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship. Yet that’s not all. Philadelphia has also reportedly received trade offers for A.J. Brown and Tanner McKee, as the future of both players in Philadelphia remains uncertain.
Here are my predictions for where each of those six players will land this offseason, what type of contract that they will sign or what trade compensation was able to seal the deal.
Jaelan Phillips
In 2025, the Eagles identified Zack Baun as a key part to their defense that was set to hit free agency. Yet Philadelphia prioritized signing him to a contract extension before the new league year began. That’s exactly what I expect the Eagles to do with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
Philadelphia already traded a 2026 third-round pick for Phillips at last year’s trade deadline. While they could potentially recoup a 2027 third-round compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere, the Eagles likely want him to stick around in the City of Brotherly Love.
Both sides likely discussed their options in the market at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. My guess is that the Eagles and Phillips will be able to find common ground ahead of the new league year and agree to terms on a contract extension that will fall inbetween Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto ($26.5 million per year) and Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat ($24.5 million per year).
Contract terms: Eagles sign Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $102 million deal
Dallas Goedert
There is no disputing that Dallas Goedert is one of the best tight ends in Eagles history. Yet it’s time for Philadelphia to move in a different direction at the position. While Goedert hauled in a career-high 11 touchdowns last season, he isn’t getting any younger and the Eagles need to revamp their tight end room this offseason.
After taking a pay cut last offseason, Goedert deserves to get paid and test free agency for the first time in his NFL career. Despite the Eagles eating a dead cap hit of $20.5 million for Goedert in 2026, it shouldn’t be enough of a reason for the Eagles to dump even more money into a player that’s on the decline.
Former Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is now with the Dolphins and I could see him pushing for Miami to add Goedert as the team’s top tight end. The Dolphins don’t have much else at the position and Goedert would provide a relatively high floor as TE1. I expect him to land a new deal around $13 million per year, which is similar to what the Ravens gave Mark Andrews.
Contract terms: Dolphins sign Dallas Goedert to a two-year, $26 million deal
Nakobe Dean
Nakobe Dean arrived in Philadelphia in 2022 and helped lead a new era of defense for the Eagles. Dean, along with Jordan Davis, were the first of the former Georgia Bulldogs to transform Philadelphia’s defense and ultimately helped the team win another Super Bowl. While Dean played an important role for the Eagles, it’s time for both sides to move on.
The Eagles spent a first-round pick on Jihaad Campbell in the 2025 NFL Draft for a reason. That reason was because of Dean’s injury history ahead of a contract year. Yet Dean was able to make an unexpected, remarkable recovery and ultimately took back his starting spot from Campbell.
Despite Dean’s performance last season, the Eagles invested too much in Campbell to let him rot away on the bench for another season. Dean makes plenty of sense as a fit with the Cowboys after they hired Christian Parker to be their next defensive coordinator. I could see Dean landing a deal slightly above what Robert Spillane signed with the Patriots in 2025 ($11 million per year).
Contract terms: Cowboys sign Nakobe Dean to a three-year, $35 million deal
Reed Blankenship
The Eagles couldn’t have asked for much more from Reed Blankenship during his time in Philadelphia. Blankenship signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and worked his way up to being a three-year starter in the City of Brotherly Love. Blankenship turned 27-years old this month and deserves a significant payday in 2026.
Despite being named a team captain prior to the start of last season, I believe that we could see the end of this iteration of the “Exciting Whites” this offseason. Zach Berman of The Atheltic pointed out how Roseman doesn’t normally reward players that fall in the middle of the market and that is likely where Blankenship will land in 2026.
Roseman probably believes that the Eagles were able to maximize Blankenship’s time in Philadelphia and now they’ll let him enjoy the fruits of his labor elsewhere, similar to what they did with T.J. Edwards. The Raiders have a ton of money to spend and have taken a chance on a few former Eagles players in recent years (Thomas Booker IV, Tristin McCollum, etc.).
My guess is that Blankenship will land $11.5 million per year, which would place him at 18th among safeties in average annual value, inbetween Vikings safety Josh Metellus and Steelers safety Kyle Dugger.
Contract terms: Raiders sign Reed Blankenship to a four-year, $46 million deal
A.J. Brown
Let me start by saying this: The Eagles wouldn’t become a better team by trading away A.J. Brown. He has played a crucial role in Philadelphia’s success since being traded to the Eagles in 2022. With that being said, there is far too much smoke to completely ignore the possibility of a trade, at this point.
It was clear both on and off the field that Brown wasn’t happy in Philadelphia last season. Then there were reports that he requested a trade not once, but twice, during the regular season in 2025 (which I also heard later in the season). While the Eagles have hired Sean Mannion as their next offensive coordinator and are installing a new scheme, I’m not sure that this situation is repairable.
The national media has made Philadelphia’s asking price for Brown very clear. Roseman is looking for a first-round pick and a second-round pick. While he may not get exactly what he’s looking for, I believe that the AFC is wide open enough that the Bills will make the leap and give Josh Allen the WR1 that they desperately need.
If the Eagles are going to take the massive dead cap hit that comes with trading Brown, they’ll need at least a 2026 first-round pick. But I believe the rest of a trade package could fall elsewhere. That’s what happens in this scenario, as the Eagles land a conditional 2027 third-round pick that could eventually meet Roseman’s wish of a second-round pick. Philadelphia would also add a potential TE1 in Dawson Knox, who could be on the way out of Buffalo due to his contract situation.
Trade terms: Eagles trade A.J. Brown to the Bills for a 2026 first-round pick (26th overall), a conditional 2027 third-round pick* and Dawson Knox
*If Brown has 80 or more receptions and 1,400 or more receiving yards, the conditional 2027 third-round pick becomes a 2027 second-round pick
Tanner McKee
When the Eagles took a chance on Tanner McKee in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, they weren’t sure what he would become. Yet McKee has developed into a solid backup quarterback that has shown enough flashes to potentially earn an opportunity to start elsewhere.
Given the quarterback landscape both in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, it could be time for the Eagles to cash in on McKee’s development. Following the arrival of Mannion, the Eagles could trust him to identify someone else as Philadelphia’s new QB2 and trade McKee heading into a contract year.
Both the Jets and the Dolphins standout as teams with coaching connections to the Eagles that could view McKee as a potential starter in 2026. New York hired Frank Reich as their new offensive coordinator, who had a strong relationship with Nick Sirianni and worked at McKee’s alma mater last season. While the Jets don’t have a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, I believe that a package of two fourth-round picks could get a deal done.
Trade terms: Eagles trade Tanner McKee to the Jets for a 2026 fourth-round pick (103rd overall) and a conditional 2027 fourth-round pick*
*If McKee starts 10 or more games for the Jets in 2026, the conditional 2027 fourth-round pick becomes a 2027 third-round pick