The Eagles Lost A.J. Brown. Don’t Count Them Out.

The Philadelphia Eagles have won back-to-back NFC East titles. They went to the Super Bowl last February and won it. They are the defending NFC champions. And this offseason, they watched one of the best receivers in football walk out the door to New England.

Most teams would be in rebuilding mode after a roster shake-up like that. The Eagles are not most teams.

Philadelphia enters 2026 as the division favorite at plus-115, and if you’ve been paying attention to how Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman have operated this franchise over the past four years, that shouldn’t surprise anyone. This organization has repeatedly lost key pieces and found ways to reload without missing a step. The question heading into training camp isn’t whether the Eagles are good. It’s whether they’re as good without Brown as they were with him.

The A.J. Brown Departure

Let’s be honest about what Philadelphia is replacing.

Brown produced 5,034 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns over four seasons as an Eagle. He was Jalen Hurts’ security blanket, his go-to on third down, and the most physically imposing receiver in the NFC. His frustrations with the organization became apparent late in 2025, and by the time the Eagles traded him to New England in June, the relationship had clearly run its course on both sides.

That doesn’t make replacing him easy.

DeVonta Smith steps into the role of primary target, a position he is more than capable of handling. Smith has been quietly excellent throughout his Eagles career, and with the volume that comes from being the clear No. 1 option, there’s a legitimate argument his numbers could actually improve. First-round pick Makai Lemon arrives as the high-upside addition, a receiver with elite speed who the Eagles believe can develop into a genuine weapon quickly. Dontayvion Wicks, acquired from the Packers, rounds out a group that is younger and less proven than what Philadelphia had a year ago but not without talent.

The concern isn’t the ceiling of this receiver room. It’s the floor. Brown provided a guaranteed outcome on any given play. Smith, Lemon, and Wicks together have to prove they can replicate that consistency week after week, especially in January when the stakes are highest.

Saquon Barkley remains one of the best running backs in football and takes pressure off whoever lines up at receiver. As long as Barkley is healthy and Hurts is managing the game efficiently, this offense doesn’t need to be spectacular to be effective.

Jalen Hurts and His Sixth Offensive Coordinator in Six Seasons

If there is one persistent storyline that has followed the Eagles throughout the Sirianni era, it’s the revolving door at offensive coordinator. Hurts is now on his sixth play-caller in six professional seasons. Shane Steichen left for the Colts head coaching job. Brian Johnson was fired after one year. Kellen Moore left after one season to become the head coach of the New Orleans Saints following the Super Bowl win. Kevin Patullo was promoted to replace Moore for 2025, then fired after the Eagles ranked 24th in yards per game and 19th in points per game despite going 11-6 and losing to the 49ers in the Wild Card round.

Now it’s Sean Mannion’s turn.

Mannion is 34 years old and a first-time offensive coordinator. He spent the past two seasons as the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers and played in the NFL as recently as 2023. He isn’t a household name, but the scheme he’s installing has real roots. According to The Athletic’s Zach Berman, Mannion’s offense draws from the McVay and Kubiak coaching trees, emphasizing more under-center work, wide zone run concepts, and play-action passes. That is a meaningful departure from what the Eagles have been doing and a significant adjustment for Hurts, who has operated primarily out of the shotgun throughout his career.

The early returns have been encouraging. Berman noted that the buy-in from Hurts, Barkley, and the offensive line during the spring has been genuine and encouraging. Hurts has talked openly about wanting continuity and chemistry with his coordinator, and by all accounts the two have built a solid foundation heading into camp.

Whether that translates into improved offensive production is the central question for this Eagles team in 2026. Philadelphia ranked 24th in yards per game last season. A new scheme, a new coordinator, and a new No. 1 receiver all in the same year is a lot of change to absorb. But this organization has navigated coordinator changes before and come out the other side just fine.

Vic Fangio’s Defense Is Still Scary

Here’s the part of the Eagles that doesn’t get enough attention when people talk about the Brown departure.

The defense is going to be very good again.

Vic Fangio runs one of the most sophisticated defensive schemes in professional football. The Eagles were already an elite defensive unit last season, and they return most of that core in 2026. Jonathan Greenard is the key addition up front, a pass rusher who recorded double-digit sacks in both 2023 and 2024 before a down year in 2025. If he bounces back, Philadelphia’s pass rush could become genuinely dominant alongside their cornerback group, which added Riq Woolen to an already strong room.

ESPN’s NFC East preview noted that as long as Philadelphia can generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the defense should remain among the league’s elite. Fangio’s scheme doesn’t blitz much, which means the front four has to win consistently. The Eagles are betting Greenard provides that edge.

Is the Division as Close as It Looks?

DraftKings has the Cowboys at plus-235, the Commanders at plus-460, and the Giants at plus-600. That spread tells you something important. The Eagles are clear favorites, but this division is more competitive than it has been in years.

Dallas spent an entire offseason rebuilding a defense that allowed 511 points last season and added what could be the best receiver duo in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Washington has Jayden Daniels healthy and a new offensive coordinator. New York hired John Harbaugh and surrounded Jaxson Dart with legitimate weapons.

The Eagles have won back-to-back division titles. ESPN noted that is the first repeat NFC East champion since the Eagles won four consecutive titles from 2001 to 2004. Going three in a row would be genuinely historic.

Nothing about how Roseman and Sirianni have operated this franchise suggests they aren’t trying to do exactly that.

The Bottom Line

The Eagles lost A.J. Brown. That is real and it matters. Any team that loses a top-five receiver in the NFL is going to feel it somewhere on the field at some point during the season.

But this is a franchise that has consistently reloaded and competed at the highest level for four straight years. The defense is elite. Hurts is a proven winner. Barkley is one of the best players in football. And Roseman has shown repeatedly that he finds a way to keep this roster ahead of the competition.

Don’t count them out just because Brown is gone. Count them in until someone proves they can beat them.

Training camp opens at the NovaCare Complex later this month. The Eagles are the team to beat in the NFC East, and they know it.