The Tennessee Titans made a shocking trade during round one of the 2022 NFL Draft.
They traded Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 18th and the 101st overall picks.
Brown also received a four-year, $100 million extension with $57 million guaranteed.
That contract will start in 2023 because Brown still has one year left in his rookie contract.
In return, the Titans drafted Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks with the 18th pick.
Titans general manager Jon Robinson revealed the reason for the trade to Jim Wyatt.
.@Titans GM Jon Robinson: "We got to a spot where it was going to be hard to get a deal done" with A.J. Brown (so we had to trade him).
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) April 29, 2022
Robinson said, “We got to a spot where it was going to be hard to get a deal done.”
Brown isn’t eligible for a fifth-year option because he was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Therefore, contract negotiations were about to start because his deal will expire.
However, the surging wide receiver market made it tougher to re-sign him.
The deals signed by Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams increased the base price for wideouts.
Brown’s annual average value of $25 million makes him the fourth-highest paid wide receiver.
His deal will serve as the basis for another impending trade.
How Much Will Deebo Samuel Get?
Deebo Samuel’s camp will use Brown’s contract as basis for their negotiations.
However, his status is still pending after asking for a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.
The team that will trade for Samuel should be ready to clear cap space to accommodate the versatile wide receiver.
Likewise, the 49ers could also retain Samuel if they could offer the same amount that Brown received.
Brown’s contract will also serve as basis for the impending contract extensions for Terry McLaurin and D.K. Metcalf.
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