Why does the nonsensical discourse that's taking over social media about the Tennessee Titans potentially trading A.J. Brown to the New York Jets even exist?

Rich Cimini, ESPN's NFL Nation reporter for the Jets, seems to be the culprit.

Cimini wrote on March 27 that the Jets are "keeping an eye" on Brown's situation, and he followed up on Sunday by identifying Brown as "the name to watch" in the Jets' pursuit of a top-flight wideout.

It's important, here, to make a line of demarcation between what Cimini is reporting⏤i.e. what sources have told him⏤and what he's opining⏤i.e. his personal deductions and analysis.

It appears that Cimini got, from sources, that the Jets want Brown, and it's hard to imagine that sentiment is untrue⏤who wouldn't want Brown?

What seems to be opinion, though, is that the Titans would be willing to part with Brown because of the sizable dent that extending him would create on the team's salary cap; it's unlikely that anyone in the Titans organization told Cimini they're willing to move on from Brown.

To the extent that that is, indeed, an opinion, it's a deeply flawed one.

Y’all think I’m too cynical about the #Titans now? This would take it to a new level. https://t.co/3qjdMR27Kh

— Luke Worsham (@luke_worsham) April 3, 2022

Sure, Brown has just one year left on his rookie deal and extending him will be costly. The reason it will be costly, though, is that he's a stellar player.

Brown is a special wide receiver. In just three years, he's established himself as one of the NFL's premier after-the-catch players.

He wins at all levels of the field; he's just as likely to catch an over-the-shoulder deep bomb as he is to turn a 5-yard crosser into a 40-yard touchdown.

He's the ultimate chain mover, holding the NFL record for most third-down receptions in a single game.

And, perhaps most importantly, Brown and QB Ryan Tannehill have a next-level connection; the two are completely in sync at all times.

"I have so many reps with A.J. over the course of the last couple of years," Tannehill said in December. "There is a ton of confidence there."

Why would the Titans move on from such a talented player before he turns 25 while they continually emphasize the need to "be great" around Tannehill?

Here's the thing: they wouldn't.

Especially for a franchise that has struggled so mightily to find capable receiving talent, moving on from a player of Brown's caliber at his age would be exponentially stupid. Dumb. Unfathomable. Indefensible.

You name the adjective, it probably applies.

What about the money, you ask? Who cares! Brown is precisely the type of player that teams should extend and keep 100% of the time. He's worth the money.

What about the plethora of draft picks the Titans could potentially get in return for Brown? Who cares about that, either!

It's unlikely that any of those picks would yield the Titans a player as good as Brown. The Titans aren't in a position where they need a ton of draft picks, anyways.

It would be one thing if Tennessee had several roster holes and wasn't competitive, but that's not the case.

They were one less Tannehill turnover away from playing in the AFC Championship just a few months ago, and they're running it back with a very similar roster in 2022.

When you're competitive and have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, trading away one of your very best players⏤and one of the NFL's best at his position⏤seems to be a rather poor strategy.

If the Titans do trade Brown because they're scared of paying him, they should be bemoaned with an unheard-of level of abhorrence.

The chances of that happening, though, are microscopically slim and, perhaps, non-existent.

Cover image: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today