Philadelphia Eagles make A.J. Brown highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history

There was some quiet talk earlier this offseason that the Philadelphia Eagles might trade star wide receiver A.J. Brown rather than hand the Pro Bowler a lucrative contract extension.

It didn’t seem to make too much sense. Philadelphia exhausted a haul to acquire Brown from the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 NFL Draft. He has shown out big time in two seasons with the Eagles since.

• A.J. Brown stats (2022-23): 194 receptions, 2,952 yards, 18 TD

About that? Immediately ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft starting on Friday, the Eagles made a bold move. They signed Brown to a record-breaking three-year, $96 million contract extension. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report the details of the deal.

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The deal makes Brown the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history on a per-year basis at $32 million. It also calls for a total guarantee of $84 million. This sets the mark for wide receivers in the history of the league.

For Philadelphia, it is a continuation of an offseason that has seen Howie Roseman and Co. lock up multiple core players on huge long-term contract. That list includes wide receiver DeVonta Smith as well as offensive linemen Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson.

This deal comes one day after the Detroit Lions made Amon-Ra St. Brown what was then the highest-paid wider receiver in league history. It also comes with the likes of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Ja’Marr Chase and Brandon Aiyuk also looking for long-term deals.

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