Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was not being insubordinate or disrespectful when he was caught by television cameras reading a book during Philadelphia’s Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers.
Brown was reading the book “Inner Excellence” by best-selling self-help author Jim Murphy. During the Super Bowl showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, Brown whipped out the book again and read it after scoring a touchdown.

Eagles’ A.J. Brown Looking for His Inner Excellence
Brown, who had a relatively quiet game for a player of his stature (one reception for 10 yards), was reading a book that he says is motivational. He said he always has it on the sidelines and reads between drives.
From @NFLGameDay: Jim Murphy, author of “Inner Excellence,” will be in attendance at the Linc today, one week after cameras spotted #Eagles WR A.J. Brown reading his book. In just a few days, the two have become fast friends. pic.twitter.com/FJCPQYvb64
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 19, 2025
Brown met Murphy this past Friday, and the two have instantly become friends. The author is now expected to be in attendance on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field for the Eagles’ Divisional Round playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The book, according to the publication’s website, says the following about what will happen once the book is read: “Discover the mental training system that has developed world champions, empowered athletes to become world #1, and most importantly, transformed their lives.”
Matt Killen, a PGA Tour coach who lists Tiger Woods among his pupils, recommends the book to all of his clients.
“I read the first version of Inner Excellence six times,” Killen said. “I recommend all my clients read it.”
Kevin Connauton, a current member of the Utah Hockey Club and a former defenseman of the Philadelphia Flyers, also read the book and swears by it.
“Inner Excellence has had a dramatic impact on how I approach my life and how I play hockey,” Connauton said.
AJ Brown is reading a book on the sideline? 📚😂
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/jQGv8smD9N
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 13, 2025
“I read the book, I like to read,” Brown said after the game.
After the public learned about Brown’s fascination with the book, it immediately climbed the best sellers’ charts. The book normally sold a few copies a day, but the day after the game, it sold over 10,000 copies, according to Sportico.
According to multiple sources, the book went from No. 523,497 in sales on Amazon’s best-seller list to No. 1.
When Murphy visited Brown, it was a match made in heaven. This was no ordinary stop for Murphy. He was with the creator of one the best free endorsements in the history of endorsements. His book had a publication campaign he never could have fathomed.
Brown and Murphy are partnering on a mission ran by Brown’s foundation. Coincidentally, earlier this week, the A.J. Brown Foundation announced a new “reading initiative” on Facebook, highlighted by one of Murphy’s quotes:
“The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the more you grow.”
AJ Brown started reading Inner Excellence after his TD in the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/5VitmsryFj
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 10, 2025
Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl Preview
Based on PFN’s win probability model, which ran 10,000 simulations via the PFN Playoff Predictor, the Eagles have a 52.8% chance of defeating the Chiefs.
The Chiefs are aiming to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. Kansas City has won three of the last five Super Bowls and will be the first NFL team to play in five Super Bowls over a six-season span.
This is Philadelphia’s third Super Bowl appearance in the last eight seasons. The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII and lost to the Chiefs two seasons ago in Super Bowl LVII.
Kansas City Chiefs Trends and Insights
- The Chiefs have 17 straight one-score wins (12-0 this season, their last three playoff games last year, and their last two regular season games). Twelve one-score wins is the most in a single season all-time, tied with the 2022 Vikings, 2019 Seahawks, and 2015 Broncos.
- Patrick Mahomes passed Joe Montana for the second-most playoff wins by a starting quarterback (17) and John Elway for the second-most playoff game-winning drives by a quarterback (seven).
- From 2019-24, the Chiefs have made six Super Bowl appearances, are chasing a fourth title, and have won 78% of their regular season games. For reference, the Splash Brother Golden State Warriors (2015-19, 2022) made six NBA Finals appearances with four titles and won 76.2% of their regular season games.
- The Chiefs have averaged over 2.5 points per offensive drive in four straight games when playing their regulars – that’s a good formula, as NFL teams have won 78.9% of their games this season when clearing 2.50 PPD.
- During his career, Mahomes has averaged 3.9 carries for 20 yards and 0.13 touchdowns on the ground during the regular season. In the postseason, those rates elevated to 5.4 attempts, 29.1 yards, and 0.35 touchdowns per game.
Philadelphia Eagles Trends and Insights
- The Eagles peaked early last season and scored 155 points over a five-game win streak (Weeks 7-12). Over their past five games, they’ve scored 166 points.
- Jalen Hurts ran for three scores in his prior Super Bowl experience, joining Terrell Davis as the only player to do that in The Big Game. With his three rushing scores on Sunday, Hurts joined LeGarrette Blount as the only players in NFL history with multiple playoff games in which they ran for three-plus touchdowns.
- Philadelphia has forced 19 turnovers in their past six games, a run that includes four games with three-plus.
- The Eagles became the sixth team to have multiple players rush for multiple scores in a playoff game, the first since Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel did it for the 2018 Patriots.
- Since 2022, the Eagles are 18-8 ATS (69.2%) when facing a team that enters play with at least as many wins as losses (second best, trailing only the 20-6-1 Lions).
- Hurts will become the eighth quarterback to start multiple Super Bowls within his first eight seasons. Of the previous seven, only Elway failed to secure a ring within his first five seasons—though Elway would famously cap off his career with Super Bowl victories in his final two seasons.