Wide receiver A.J. Brown’s trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots was one of the NFL offseason’s biggest blockbuster moves. Brown was reunited with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, who was also the Tennessee Titans coach when they selected him No. 51 overall during the 2019 NFL Draft.
Leonard Fournette Blames Jalen Hurts for A.J. Brown Departure
During Friday’s segment of the “4th and South” podcast, former Super Bowl champion Leonard Fournette fully blamed Hurts for helping to derail Brown’s stellar career in Philadelphia.
“I’m going back on A.J. Brown, and I’m just rethinking the whole of last season, and I feel like A.J. Brown had a reason to be upset. You have me out here perfecting my craft at a high level, and when it comes to showtime, when the light is on me, you don’t wanna give me the ball? Yeah, I got a problem.
“I’m your number one. Y’all pay me sixty-something million dollars to be out here, and I’ve earned it. That’s a quarterback issue 100%.”
Brown established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league after being traded to the Eagles from the Titans in 2022. Alongside Hurts, Brown was a key cog in the team that won Super Bowl LIX.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
An ESPN report published this week detailed how Brown felt sidelined from the Eagles’ offense by Hurts’ reluctance to make certain throws, which directly impacted the wide receiver’s production.
Brown’s production dipped last season, falling to 66.9 yards per game and 12.9 yards per catch, which were both the lowest during his four-year Eagles career. He earned a PFSN Wide Receiver Impact score of 80.9, No. 21 in the league after tallying 1,003 yards on 78 receptions, resulting in seven scores for the Eagles last season.
While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Hurts addressed the speculation about his frigid relationship with Brown.
“I’m not in a place to challenge anyone’s perspective on anything. I’ve always been focused on the collective. I’ve always put my energy towards that,” Hurts said. “Now it’s time to focus on achieving great things with this new iteration of the team.
“You come into it and you have a sense of pride in how it began, and definitely what we were able to accomplish.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
The Patriots gave up a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick to acquire Brown from the Eagles. He will be reunited with wide receivers coach Todd Downing, who was the Titans’ offensive coordinator during Brown’s last season at the franchise before being traded to Vrabel’s dismay.
