Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has taken as much heat as ever for his team’s failure to emerge from what, in retrospect, appears to have been a relatively weak and highly gettable AFC — but one big swing might finally change the team’s fortunes.
Former head coach Sean McDermott told Bills brass that the roster wasn’t good enough in 2025, and he was ultimately fired for his troubles. Meanwhile, ownership elevated general manager Brandon Beane to the joint role of President of Football Operations, despite the buck stopping with him regarding all personnel decisions.
Beane has been prickly in the past when questioned about the lack of an elite wide receiver at Allen’s disposal and sat by and listened while owner Terry Pegula put the responsibility for Buffalo’s decision to select Keon Coleman No. 33 overall in the 2024 NFL draft on the coaching staff, embarrassing the second-year wideout in the process.
But Beane’s and Pegula’s scapegoat is now gone, and it would make sense for the organization to equip new head coach/former offensive coordinator Joe Brady with a primary target for arguably the league’s top quarterback.
Sports betting analyst Pamela Maldonado of ESPN predicted on Wednesday, February 11 that Buffalo will do just that by executing a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason for AJ Brown.
“The Bills will finally fix their offense with one decisive move — acquiring Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown,” she wrote. “They would immediately be on the top tier of Super Bowl contenders if they added Brown. Buffalo’s top priority is receiver help, and pairing him with Allen can solve its biggest limitation overnight. Buffalo has the rare mix of an elite QB, a playoff-ready roster, a clear singular need and a clear desperation to fill it. All that is missing is the blockbuster deal to put it together.”
Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro entering his eighth season in 2026, is under contract through 2029 after inking a three-year extension worth a total of $96 million in April of 2024. Brown also appears to want out of Philadelphia, as he publicly criticized the offense and coaching staff during a 2025 campaign in which he produced 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell tabbed Brown, who turns 29 years old in June, as worth a first-round pick and then some as part of a comprehensive trade value piece in July of 2025. Buffalo owns the Nos. 26, 60 and 91 selections in April’s draft.