A.J. Brown is finally a member of the New England Patriots, but it feels like that’s been the case for months, despite the trade only being a week old.
The superstar wideout was dealt by the Philadelphia Eagles last week, putting to bed the frayed relationship between Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts. Now that Brown is elsewhere, more details about where and why his stint with the Eagles went south are coming to light.
A.J. Brown ‘Making Excuses’ for Being a Bad Teammate
There was no secret that Brown appeared to grow more and more frustrated as it appeared he was being fazed out of the Eagles’ passing attack, even if that wasn’t necessarily true. Brown saw 121 targets across 15 games last season, which would be his third-most during his four years with the Eagles.
He just barely eclipsed 1,000 yards, a feat he’s accomplished every year in Philadelphia, and finished with seven touchdowns for the third season in a row. His 66.9 average yards per game, however, were his fewest since his 2021 campaign with the Tennessee Titans.
Brown not accumulating the volume he’s accustomed to may be more of an indictment of the Eagles’ game as a whole, as well as former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Their entire offense took a step back in 2025 on the heels of a Super Bowl 59 title defense.
A recent report indicated that Brown believed Hurts was reluctant to target him on tight-window throws in zone coverage. But that was debunked by Shane Haff, host of the Eagles Pin-Pull podcast, who believes that Brown is simply making excuses for being a poor teammate.
“Jalen Hurts ranked 8th and 6th in the last 2 seasons in tight window throw rate among QBs with double-digit starts,” he wrote in a post on X. “AJ Brown ranked 2nd and 3rd in the last 2 seasons in yards on tight window throws. Brown continues to invent excuses for being a bad teammate.”
Jalen Hurts ranked 8th and 6th in the last 2 seasons in tight window throw rate among QBs with double-digit starts.
AJ Brown ranked 2nd and 3rd in the last 2 seasons in yards on tight window throws.
Brown continues to invent excuses for being a bad teammate. https://t.co/myFtRWM8TT
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) June 8, 2026
The friendship between Brown and Hurts predates their time in Philadelphia. Hurts hosted Brown on a recruiting visit to Alabama, and although Brown chose Ole Miss, the two stayed close through college and into their early NFL careers.
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Hurts reportedly pushed hard for the Eagles to acquire Brown from the Titans in 2022, and the trade paid immediate dividends. Brown recorded 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season, Hurts finished as the MVP runner-up, and the Eagles reached Super Bowl 57. They were viewed as best friends, but things aren’t the same now.
According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, Brown posted an impact score of 80.9 last season, ranking 21st in the league. However, in New England and paired with MVP runner-up Drake Maye, he can return to his 2024 level, when he ranked third in the league with an impact score of 91.4.
