there will be a lot or talk about June 1 for the next few weeks, being the next most important date on the NFL calendar. This is a wise date when it comes to teams being able to set their salary cap, as it allows players to be cut or traded with their dead money spread over the 2026 and 2027 seasons, rather than shouldering the entire cost up front.
This is what we’ve all been waiting for when it comes to AJ Brown, and why the Eagles traded Brown before June 1 never is going to happen. If Philadelphia were to trade Brown before June 1, his salary figure would have gone from $23.4 million to $44 million, capping out at an additional $20 million this season. By waiting until June 1, your figure drops to a manageable $16.4 million this year and $16.2 million next year, representing an immediate savings of $7 million.
Needless to say, Brown will likely be traded after June 1, but there are a handful of other big names to keep an eye on when it comes to cuts or trades that will likely happen as soon as the month ends.
AJ Brown, WR – Philadelphia Eagles
The worst kept secret in the NFL, yes, the Eagles are going to trade Brown after June 1 and All signs point to him heading to the New England Patriots.. It’s an unceremonious end to a union that gave Philadelphia a victory in Super Bowl LIX, and more of a case of two sides succeeding but outdoing each other.
Brown wants more opportunities in the passing game. The Eagles want selflessness from their offensive players. It’s a mixture of oil and water, and with Philly drawing Makai Lemon it really put a clear coat over the writing on the wall.
Commerce/Court: Trade. There’s still plenty of value in Brown as a do-it-all receiver at his best who will cement himself as the No. 1 on any team that makes the deal for him.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR – San Francisco 49ers
Easily one of the most dramatic declines in recent years, Brandon Aiyuk went from being a 1,342-yard receiver in 2023 to being widely considered one of the best offensive players in the NFL, and now he’s so far down in the cellar that it would be surprising if anyone called the Niners for a trade.
Injuries, attitude, it’s been a perfect storm of bad times for Aiyuk. Some factors were out of your control, others were entirely in your hands, but the result is the same. The 49ers don’t need cap help, but it’s time to cut bait and move on, because the roster right now is worse holding Aiyuk and allowing him to be a distraction, rather than simply accepting the sunk cost.
Commerce/Court: Cut. The four-year, $120 million extension signed in 2024 has aged like milk, with no team willing to take on that amount of money for a receiver who hasn’t proven anything in two years. Aiyuk’s best chance is to sign a one-year deal to “prove it out” and hope to make his mark before hitting free agency again.
Cole Kmet, TE – Chicago Bears
The tight end is in a strange situation in the NFL right now, where it has become a devalued position and the missing piece of the puzzle. Look no further than the 2026 NFL Draft, which saw an alarming number of tight ends leave earlier than expected due to the team’s desperation to upgrade the position.
Enter the Bears, who have a glut at the position. At this point, it’s safe to assume that Ben Johnson doesn’t see Kmet fitting into his offense long-term after taking Colston Loveland with his first pick in 2025 as a pass-catching TE, and then causing an upset in 2026 by selecting Sam Roush in the third round. That left Kmet on the outside looking in.
Kmet is a versatile TE who is a decent receiver and blocker, but Johnson’s offense calls for more specialty at each position. That could make the Bears TE an interesting candidate at the June 1 deadline to free up cap space for the Bears, more importantly, a roster spot, while also getting something for a player who would otherwise be out of contract.
Commerce/Court: Trade. Kmet is ideally suited to be a guy the Bears give up for a third-day pick in 2027, giving them some cap flexibility in the process. Keep an eye out for teams like the Chiefs, Falcons, or Panthers that could be biters – they were all expected to add to their TE rooms in the draft, but didn’t.
Anthony Richardson, QB – Indianapolis Colts
We didn’t see a Richardson trade in the NFL Draft, and the team entered offseason workouts with the QB in the building, but it seems incredibly likely that the Colts will reach a deal. Indianapolis declined the fifth-year option on Richardson, effectively accepting that he was a failure in their eyes, but we know beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Despite being drafted in 2023, Richardson is still only 23 years old, younger than Ty Simpson, who was drafted. this year. The athletic advantage is there, the arm strength is there, it’s just all the connective tissue where it failed. If you’re a team desperate for a quarterback to add to the slot, or a contender that wants to pull off the patented “rebuild” and let him walk for compensation, then Richardson is a guy you could look at.
Commerce/Court: Trade. Either the Colts trade Richardson to get some draft capital, or they retain him for the year. It doesn’t make much sense to cut him at this point rather than let his contract run out. That being said, someone will look at Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones (the list goes on) and think “we could be the ones to unlock him.”
