Cap Impact of Jets/Eagles Trade for A.J. Brown
Current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is likely on the move, and the Jets should be in the mix for a trade for the wide receiver.
Recently, Matt Lombrado wrote a column on the three moves the Jets should make to go from last place to the playoffs in 2026.
The move for A.J. Brown definitely got my wheels turning. Garrett Wilson needs a complementary WR, and A.J. Brown would be the perfect complement.
The structure of A.J. Brown’s current contract is as follows:
2026
Base salary: $1.3 million
Option Bonus: $27.45 million
Workout Bonus: $250k
Total Cap Charge: $7,040,000
2027
Base salary: $1.345 million
Option Bonus: $19.405 million
Workout Bonus: $250k
Total Cap Charge: $10,966,000
2028
Base salary: $1.39 million
Option Bonus: $29.36 million
Roster Bonus: $1 million
Workout Bonus: $250k
Total Cap Charge: $17,883,000
2029
Base salary: $1.435 million
Option Bonus: $28.315 million
Roster Bonus: $1 million
Workout Bonus: $250k
Total Cap Charge: $23,591,000
2030
Dead Cap Charge (Voids): $53,335,000
The 2026 compensation would be fully guaranteed. After 2026, nothing is guaranteed. Here’s the dead cap schedule, if he’s released before the contract voids.
2027: $21.96 million
2028: $31.994 million
2029: $43.711 million
At any point in the four years, the Jets could turn Brown’s void years into real ones and give him an extension.
In that case, they’d probably re-work the contract to guarantee some of the options left. In fact, if they were to trade for Brown, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they guaranteed 2027 and/or 2028 after the trade. Also, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they immediately offered him a two-year contract extension to reduce the void years; he’d only be 34 at the end of that contract, and the dead cap charge would be $17,013,000.
From a cap standpoint, it’s completely doable for the Jets, especially with the big cap charges not coming until 2030-31. If the No. 16 pick is enough to land Brown, it should be a slam dunk move for Gang Green.