The Philadelphia Eagles‘ star wide receiver A.J. Brown got off to a hot start in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. Brown showcased his game-breaking ability with five receptions for 119 yards and an explosive 67-yard touchdown.
Following Philadelphia’s victory in Week 1, the Eagles got some unexpected news regarding the team’s best wide receiver.
Here’s the latest on Brown’s injury, his potential return, and Philadelphia’s contingency plan at wide receiver.
What Is A.J. Brown’s Injury?
Brown first appeared on Philadelphia’s injury report following Friday’s practice. Brown was a limited participant due to his hamstring being “a little tight in practice,” according to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
Although Sirianni made Brown’s limited participation seem like a precautionary measure, the seriousness of the injury quickly became apparent.
Brown did not participate in practice on Saturday due to his hamstring injury and was officially listed as questionable on Philadelphia’s final injury report.
The Eagles eventually ruled Brown out on Sunday morning for the team’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. After missing just one game in his first two seasons with the Eagles, Brown was suddenly forced to miss Philadelphia’s regular season home opener in 2024.
How Long Will Brown Be Sidelined?
While many expected Brown to miss just one game due to his hamstring injury, there is apparently a chance that he could miss an extended period of time.
According to Lisa Salters of ESPN, Brown told her that he expects to miss “a couple of weeks” due to his hamstring injury.
On ESPN MNF broadcast, Lisa Salters reports Eagles WR A. J. Brown – who is OUT tonight after his hamstring tightened up in practice Friday – expects to miss “a couple of weeks” with his injury.
— Stephania Bell (@Stephania_ESPN) September 17, 2024
Sirianni was asked about Brown’s reported timeline to return during his postgame press conference following Philadelphia’s devastating loss to the Falcons.
“We’ll see. We’ll see. I don’t know that yet,” Sirianni said. “You know I won’t give you that information yet because I don’t know. We’ll see how that goes.”
While Sirianni tip-toed his way around stating an official timeline, the team’s lack of clarity is certainly concerning. If Brown is forced to miss an extended period of time, Philadelphia’s offense could be in serious trouble.
Since joining the Eagles in 2022, Brown has missed just two games. Philadelphia lost both games and scored an average of just 15 points per game without Brown. Given Philadelphia’s upcoming slate against the undefeated New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Eagles will surely hope that Brown returns sooner rather than later.
However, Philadelphia could opt to be conservative with Brown’s injury, as the team has a bye in Week 5. That would allow Brown to potentially have four weeks of rest and be fully healthy for a return against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
Who Are Philadelphia’s Starters While Brown Is Out?
The Eagles leaned heavily on DeVonta Smith in Week 2 given Brown’s absence, as expected.
Smith delivered as the WR1 for the Eagles on Monday night, as he hauled in seven receptions for 76 yards and one touchdown. Although, Smith likely wants one play back, as Falcons safety Jessie Bates III was able to punch out a would-be touchdown.
#JessieBates is a FORCE on the field covering 3.3 yards in 0.9 secs for this pass-breakup on Devonta Smith 😤#Falcons #FalconsEagles #Reel #NFL pic.twitter.com/Igj7xmUFVO
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 17, 2024
While many expected Jahan Dotson to step up against the Falcons, he did quite the opposite in Philadelphia. Dotson hauled in just one reception for six yards despite playing 56 total snaps and 33 more snaps than the next closest wide receiver.
It was a disappointing showing from a player for whom Eagles general manager Howie Roseman traded a future third-round pick.
Although Dotson struggled, Britain Covey stepped up in limited action. Covey hauled in all six of his targets for an underwhelming 23 receiving yards. While many were frustrated by Covey receiving so many targets, at least he was reliable.
SEE MORE: Philadelphia Eagles Depth Chart
Johnny Wilson and Parris Campbell also logged snaps at WR, yet neither player recorded a reception in Week 2. Wilson and Campbell combined to run just 13 total routes and were targeted once against the Falcons, according to TruMedia.
Aside from Philadelphia’s wide receivers, many expected Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley to be more involved in the passing attack. That wasn’t the case in Week 2, as they recorded seven receptions for 59 receiving yards combined.
It’s clear that the Eagles don’t have a reliable option outside of Smith at wide receiver. Therefore, Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is going to need to be more creative moving forward until Brown eventually returns to action in Philadelphia.