INDIANAPOLIS — A top end receiver nearing the outer edge of his prime years. A straining relationship between a franchise and a player. And a market of NFL teams processing how those factors guide his trade value.

A.J. Brown of 2026 is 2024 Stefon Diggs.

That’s the sense I got from executives at the league’s annual scouting combine this week in Indianapolis, where Brown’s trade availability became bluntly obvious Tuesday. Given opportunities to make a strong statement about Brown being on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster next season, both general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni made no guarantees when speaking to the media. It had shades of the combine in 2024, when rumors of the Buffalo Bills potentially trading Stefon Diggs were flying and general manager Brandon Beane was put on the spot about the subject.

His response to being asked if Diggs would be on the Bills’ roster in 2024?

“Yeah, I expect him to be here.”

The wiggle-infused usage of expect was subtle but notable. Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans less than five weeks later.

If anything, the Eagles’ language about Brown on Tuesday was even more ambiguous than Beane’s tack regarding Diggs in 2024.

“Will A.J. be here next season? I think we’re still in a spot, like, I can’t guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season,” Sirianni said of Brown. “I’m thinking I’m going to be the coach next season, but you can’t guarantee anything past tomorrow.”

“Yeah, my expectation is he wants to be here. And obviously you want good players like that in your building. As Howie said, it’s hard to get good players in this league. A.J.’s a great player and A.J. is a good teammate and A.J. is a good person. Does he want to be here? Yes. Do I want him to be here? Yes.”

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For those deciphering, those were a lot of words that still failed to close any doors. If anything, Roseman made it clear that for the right price, the Eagles will trade their players.

“I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything,” Roseman said. “If someone is going to give you something you didn’t anticipate and you won’t even have the conversation, I don’t think you’re necessarily doing your job or really servicing the team you’re with. … You never know what someone is willing to do. Certainly, we’ve been in situations where there were guys we didn’t anticipate trading that we got an offer that was too good, and then you balance it with what you can get there.”

“Without getting into specifics on any player, we’re always listening and we’re always kind of open. There’s very few things that I would shoot down without even hearing what that means, because how does it hurt to listen?”

Those are a lot of words used to say “If you’re interested in A.J. Brown, we are interested in listening.”

So what does this mean for Brown’s market?

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After speaking to six front-office executives in Indianapolis — including two teams that are expected to add wideout depth this offseason — Brown’s value falls into the typical eye of the beholder. Two were particularly low on his market, suggesting a third-rounder and some later-round pick swaps that could ultimately add up to second-round value. Three others pointed to the Diggs deal in 2024, when the Bills were believed to initially be looking for a first-rounder, but ultimately settled on packaging him with a fifth- and sixth-round pick and sending him to the Texans for a second-rounder. One executive believed Brown was worth a “late first-round pick” from an AFC team that Philadelphia wouldn’t face in the postseason unless it advanced to the Super Bowl. The four who fit that criteria best would be the Buffalo Bills (who hold the 26th overall pick), Texans (28th), Denver Broncos (30th) and New England Patriots (31st).

For any acquiring team, the natural question is whether Brown is the missing element that would either open or significantly enhance a Super Bowl window over the next few seasons. But like Diggs’ waning days with the Bills, there are concerns about Brown’s seemingly shaky relationships with his head coach, quarterback and offensive coordinator last season. There are also questions about his production decline in 2025 and whether he’s capable of playing up to his three second-team All-Pro status from 2022 to 2024. Not to mention how many elite seasons remain with Brown turning 29 in June.

“Twenty-nine is when it starts to get a little scary with physical wide receivers,” one AFC executive said. “Look at Deebo [Samuel]. The drop can come fast and you don’t know for sure when it’s coming.”

Added a long-tenured NFC personnel man, “The money and [personality] are concerns, I’m sure. Whoever the [wide receiver] coach was with the Titans, where is he at now? That might be a key to a trade. He needs a sponsor and an advocate in the building to say he’s worth trading for and how ‘we’ can work with him.”

In 2024, Brown signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the Eagles that guaranteed him $84 million. He is under contract through the 2029 season.

Brown’s wide receivers coach with the Titans was Rob Moore, who now holds the same position with the Carolina Panthers. Currently, the Panthers do not appear to be in the high-end wideout market after drafting offensive rookie of the year Tetairoa McMillan in the first round last season, and with Jalen Coker appearing ready to step into a heavier workload alongside McMillan.

Of course, this week’s combine could hold some of the answers to Brown’s potential trade market, too. Depending on their performance this week and in workouts over the next two months, as many as five to six wideouts could end up packing into the draft’s first round. It’s by far the richest offensive position in this draft, providing options for some of those teams with late first round picks and needs at wide receiver.

A key period to keep in mind is the league’s spring meetings in late March, where front offices and coaching staffs again cross paths and many pre-draft trades get significant traction. And if Brown gets traded, it’s most likely to happen prior to this draft — so that it includes 2026 compensation rather than picks in 2027, which is expected to be a much stronger and deeper class.

“Nobody wants to give up 2027 picks right now,” the AFC executive said. “If there’s a deal with draft picks, you want it to include your 2026 picks. Especially if it’s in the first two or three rounds.”