A.J. Brown downplays speculation about a strained relationship with Jalen Hurts: ‘Me and Jalen are good’
The Eagles' star receiver says his comments about their passing game was not a slight at Hurts and that teammate Brandon Graham "just misspoke."
One minute after the Eagles locker room opened to the media for the first time of the week on Wednesday afternoon, A.J. Brown stood at his stall, ready to answer any lingering questions about his relationship with Jalen Hurts.
In the aftermath of Brandon Graham’s radio appearance on 94.1 WIP on Monday, Brown said that he and Hurts are “good.” Brown said he has spoken to both of his teammates. According to Brown, Graham, like other members of the public, had misinterpreted the receiver’s comments after the Eagles’ win over the Carolina Panthers about the passing game as a direct slight against the quarterback.
“BG was just being BG,” Brown said. “He’s emotional. In that case, he just misspoke. Me and Jalen are good. It’s BG. Everybody loves BG. He’s speaking from the heart. He’s just giving his perception on something from the outside.”
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When Brown first heard Graham’s comments, he tried to laugh it off. But outside speculation about a potential rift between the teammates continued to fester.
“It’s Philly, you know?” Brown said. “And I’m not blaming it on the media or the internet. But it’s just Philly.”
Still, Brown said he understands why Graham and others came away with the impression on Sunday night that he was frustrated with Hurts alone. His intention, he said, was to express dissatisfaction with the passing game as a whole.
Despite the 22-16 win, the entire passing operation appeared disjointed throughout the game, as the group accumulated just 83 net yards (the second-lowest total of the season). Brown finished the night with four receptions on four targets for 43 yards, his second-lowest output this year. He didn’t receive his first target until after the two-minute warning in the first half.
When asked following the game what the offense needed to improve, Brown responded, “Passing.”
Brown expanded on his succinct response on Wednesday, pointing out each element of the passing game that needs work going forward.
“We have to pass the ball,” Brown said. “And that can go into our protection. That go [into] picking up a block. That go to us getting open quicker. Being on the same page. Jalen’s reads. Whatever the case may be. It’s a [collective] group of things, and I think they just kind of just [spun] it that way.”
He described their issues against the Panthers and their last-place scoring defense as “self-inflicted,” rather than a product of Carolina slowing them down.
Brown also insisted that he isn’t bitter about the emphasis on the run game since the bye week. Hurts’ passing attempts have dropped from 33 per game in Weeks 1-4 to 21.4 per game in Weeks 6-14. Barkley has gone from handling 18.3 carries per game before the bye to 21.4 on average since.
“Saquon’s doing a great job,” Brown said. “We’re not against running the ball. We love Saquon.”
While he was frustrated with how the passing game played out, Brown said he isn’t frustrated with the adverse public reaction to his postgame comments. Brown emphasized that he said what he said for a reason and that he wouldn’t play the victim in the fallout. He added that he doesn’t mind being the one to hold his teammates — and himself — accountable.
“When I say passing, that’s speaking on the entire offense, including myself,” Brown said. “So we’re not in it for feelings. We’re trying to hold a Lombardi up and end [with] a trophy. That’s the end goal. So who cares if they want to spin it and perceive me to be a bad guy? I’m throwing somebody under the bus? Who cares? It’s about what we’re trying to do at the end of this.”
The relationship between Brown and Hurts predates the Eagles acquiring the receiver in a 2022 draft-night trade. In 2015, Hurts had tried to recruit Brown to Alabama, albeit unsuccessfully. Brown spent three seasons at Ole Miss, while Hurts played at Alabama for three before transferring to Oklahoma for his final season.
On Wednesday, Hurts was asked if there are benefits and challenges that come with having a preexisting relationship with a receiver.
“Sometimes things change as dynamics change, but for him, he knows I have a lot of love for him just like I have a lot of love for all these guys,” Hurts responded. “Ultimately, he’s a guy that’s a competitor. He wants to win, he damn sure wants the ball, and he wants to make an impact in the game. And I respect that.”
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Regardless of the outside scrutiny that emanated from Brown’s postgame comments and Graham’s radio appearance, players like left tackle Jordan Mailata indicated that the team is ready to put this behind them.
“We are moving on,” Mailata said. “It is the Pittsburgh Steelers this week, not the A.J. Brown and Jalen show. It is the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s it.”