Noisy

AJ Brown is a great receiver. AJ Brown is also a drama queen, as many great receivers tend to be. I don’t fully understand the correlation, but it has applied to star receivers for a while.

Brown wasn’t happy earlier in the year and used social media to voice his displeasure. He then had a big game and everyone hoped things were good. Last Sunday Brown went 4-121-2, which made it surprising when he went to social media a few days later to complain again. He never uses a direct, definitive message, but you can read between the lines and tell he wants the ball more.

When Brown was with the Titans, he averaged 62 catches per season and went to a Pro Bowl. The team made the playoffs all three years, even making the AFC title game in his rookie season. The Eagles traded for him in April of 2022 and gave Brown a big contract. He averaged 87 catches from 2022-2024. He made the Pro Bowl twice and went to the Super Bowl twice, winning last season. Things were pretty good in Tennessee. They have been pretty great in Philadelphia.

But Brown isn’t happy. It is hard to try to understand exactly what’s going on. Does he simply want more catches?

I was talking to my nephew recently. He’s a senior in high school and is an avid NFL fan. We talked about who the best receivers in football were. I told him Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson were 1-2 for me. Things were more wide open after that (After the last two games I would put Jaxson Smith-Njigba in the number three spot).

I mentioned Brown as being Top 5. My nephew scoffed at the idea that Brown was better than Puka Nacua. I tried to explain that Nacua had better reception numbers, but was more of a possession guy than a playmaker. He also plays in an offense that feeds him the ball in very definitive ways. Brown is a guy who is bigger, stronger and more physically gifted.

I wonder if Brown is frustrated by comparisons like that. Nacua is a really good player, someone I’ve liked since his time in college. But Brown is on another level physically. What would he do if he played in an offense that fed him the football? Could he put up amazing numbers…Hall of Fame stuff?

The media sees the frustration, as do some other teams.

A.J. Brown is agitated. The Eagles know it. The league knows it. But for now, Philadelphia wants him on its roster.

But if Brown continues to seem miserable leading up to the trade deadline, does something have to change?https://t.co/6oUQniX8Wc pic.twitter.com/usMCJxVWi3

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 25, 2025

Russini got quotes from sources on other teams regarding Brown.

She did get to ask Jeffrey Lurie about Brown and got this answer in regard to a possible trade.

“We do what’s best for the team,” he said. “We don’t even consider it seriously unless it’s best for the Eagles. We will always do what gives us the best chance of winning big. Everything else is secondary.”

Some people think Lurie should have definitively said “No” rather than explaining the team’s logic on making any moves. Brown isn’t going anywhere. This team is trying to get back to the Super Bowl. You don’t deal that guy at midseason and get better. Plus the cap situation is more than a little tricky.

The Philadelphia Eagles are not expected to trade star wide receiver A.J. Brown before the NFL’s Nov. 4 deadline.https://t.co/hCRIOlf96E

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 26, 2025

Schefter didn’t get that from the ether. Howie Roseman texted him and wanted that out for public consumption. If someone wants to call Howie and make a crazy offer, they can. But the Eagles aren’t looking to move on. They want to win this year.

Brown is out this week due to a hamstring injury. It will be interesting to see how the offense does without him. If they win and the offense looks good, will that bother him or get him fired up to return?

No one faults Brown for being frustrated with the Eagles offense this season. The rankings aren’t good, aside from the red zone. Everyone who has watched the offense is confused by how such a talented group can be so erratic this year. They will look really good for part of a game and then just disappear. It is maddening.

Back to Lurie for a second.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie went on the record to discuss a possible A.J. Brown trade https://t.co/VjFtokfdjR

— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) October 25, 2025

Jimmy points out that it says a lot that Lurie was willing to go on the record and discuss the situation. Lurie doesn’t talk to the media very much, especially the national media. Lurie taking the time to address the question of trading Brown lets you know this isn’t a standard disgruntled player type of situation. Maybe this was done as a way to let the rest of the league know to quit calling. Maybe Lurie did it as a public message to Brown and his agent. There was some intent behind Lurie talking.

If the Eagles can win on Sunday, they’ll go into the bye week at 6-2. The players will have some time off. Nick Sirianni can figure out how he wants to handle the situation. Maybe some time away for everybody will be the best thing. Sirianni has said he talks to Brown every week so maybe Nick will have the magic words to de-escalate this thing.

Or maybe the drama will continue and make an odd season more frustrating than it has to be.

Just go beat the Giants and we’ll figure out everything else over time.

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