After starting the season 10-1, the Eagles stumbled to a 1-5 finish before ultimately losing in the first round of the playoffs. Following the late-season collapse, there have been some questions surrounding some players’ commitment to the organization, particularly wideout A.J. Brown.
“I have no problem. I want to be here, it’s as simple as that,” Brown said, via NFL.com’s Christian Gonzales. “I love where I’m at, it’s as simple as that. Next question.
“…Honestly, like I said the other day, I could have plans but also know it’s a business. But I can tell you that I want to be here. That’s all I can say.”
As the Eagles took a nosedive, so did Brown’s numbers. The receiver compiled 125-plus receiving yards in six straight games towards the beginning of the year, earning him the NFC Offensive Player of the Month award in October.
However, from Week 9 through the end of the regular season, Brown only hauled in 46 catches for 517 yards and two touchdowns, and he was ultimately sidelined for the team’s wild-card loss to the Buccaneers.
Thanks to that significant decline in production, many have questioned if Brown was upset with the team’s offense and quarterback Jalen Hurts. The receiver cited the duo’s previous success as reasoning for why their relationship won’t fracture.
“You know, I think that’s sort of BS. I’m not going to get into me and his relationship on the air,” Brown said. “But it’s total BS, you know what I’m saying. It wasn’t a problem when I was on my six-game streak. They weren’t talking about that then, so they only started talking about that when we started losing. Of course, you see friction from everybody, from the coaches, the players and from everybody. So, there you go.”
After getting traded to the Eagles in 2022, Brown inked a four-year, $100M deal with the organization that featured $57M in guaranteed money. The receiver is likely locked in for several more years (the organization has an out after the 2024 campaign), so if Brown truly wants out of Philly, he’d need the organization to acquiesce.