Eagles Sign AJ Epenesa, Months After the Browns Walked Away From a Deal
Philadelphia adds the veteran edge rusher to its rotation after Cleveland declined to finalize an agreed-upon contract following his physical in March.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed defensive end AJ Epenesa on Wednesday, ending a strange stretch of limbo for the veteran pass rusher. Epenesa had agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with the Cleveland Browns back on March 18, only for Cleveland to back out after his physical on March 29. Nearly three months later, he lands in Philadelphia, where the Eagles did not disclose terms of his contract.
Why did the Browns back out of signing AJ Epenesa?
Cleveland and AJ Epenesa agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $5 million on March 18, 2026. The deal never became official, though. After Epenesa took his physical on March 29, the Browns opted against finalizing the contract, sending him back onto the open market deep into the offseason. The team did not spell out its reasoning publicly, but the timing points to something flagged during the physical. Whatever gave Cleveland pause, the Eagles were comfortable enough to bring him in, even if Philadelphia kept the terms of its own deal under wraps.
What does AJ Epenesa bring after six seasons in Buffalo?
Epenesa spent his first six NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills, appearing in 91 games with 19 starts and recording 24 career sacks. He posted 19 of those sacks over a three-year stretch before slipping to 2.5 in 16 games in 2025. His value goes beyond the rush itself, as he has batted down 14 passes and picked off four of them, including two interceptions last season. He also has plenty of January experience, with 14 playoff games on his resume, though his postseason production has been thin: no sacks, three quarterback hits and three batted passes. For the Eagles, he profiles as a rotational end with disruptive hands at the line.
How does Epenesa fit in the Eagles' edge rusher room?
Philadelphia has reshaped its edge group this offseason as part of a roster shakeup that also saw the team trade receiver A.J. Brown to New England this month. The Eagles lost Jaelan Phillips to the Carolina Panthers in free agency, then traded two third-round picks to the Minnesota Vikings for Jonathan Greenard and handed him a four-year, $100 million extension in April. Greenard now headlines a group that includes Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr. and Epenesa, who gives the rotation a veteran fourth body. Philadelphia stayed busy on the same day, also signing guard Michael Jordan while waiving linebackers Chandler Martin and Isiah King.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Eagles sign AJ Epenesa months after Browns balked on deal
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