The A.J. Brown-Eagles timeline: Four years of big moments, impressive milestones ... and high drama
Brown contributed to two Super Bowl teams and ranks high on several all-time Eagles statistical lists. But off-field tension was a throughline in his four-year tenure.
The A.J. Brown era in Philadelphia is over, with the Eagles agreeing to trade the star wide receiver to the Patriots on Monday in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Brown, who turns 29 this month, went from being a major cog on a Super Bowl team to traded in just two years. How? Well, here’s everything you need to know about Brown’s relationship with the Eagles — with special emphasis on his seemingly up-and-down relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
April 27, 2022: Eagles general manager Howie Roseman took a big swing during the 2022 NFL draft when he traded the No. 18 and No. 101 picks to the Titans in exchange for the disgruntled star receiver. Brown quickly agreed on a four-year, $100 million deal with the Birds, including $57 million guaranteed.
Things were looking up.
“Really excited to get him just in terms of how [Nick Sirianni] can use him and his vision for A.J. Brown in this offense and how he complements the other guys that we have here,” Roseman said at the time. “As you guys may or may not know, his relationship with our quarterback — all exciting things. Looking forward to getting him into Philadelphia.”
After the trade became official, Hurts posted a FaceTime clip with his longtime friend. The pair seemed ecstatic.
“Let’s do it, boy,” Brown said.
Sept. 11, 2022: Talk about an explosive debut. In his first game with the Birds, Brown set Eagles franchise records for most receiving yards in a debut with 155 (on 10 receptions) as the Eagles beat the Lions, 38-35.
Jan. 8, 2023: After recording 85-plus yards nine times in his first year with the team, Brown set the single-season Eagles franchise record for receiving yards with 1,496. He had 88 receptions and 11 touchdowns in his debut season. Philadelphia danced all the way to Super Bowl LVII in Brown’s first year, but fell to the Chiefs, 38-35.
Jan. 7, 2024: After another dominant season — 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns on 106 receptions — Brown suffered a knee injury in the final game of the 2023 season against the New York Giants. He missed the playoff game, which saw the Buccaneer steamroll the Eagles, 32-9, in the wild-card round. Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson was fired shortly thereafter.
March 11, 2024: The Eagles signed superstar former Giants running back Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal. This deal would dramatically change the dynamic of the offense, as the Eagles would lean into their biggest strength — the run game — early in the 2024 season.
April 25, 2024: Brown signed a three-year, $96 million contract extension with the Eagles, scheduled to run through the 2029 season.
Dec. 9, 2024: Eagles great Brandon Graham made headlines when he publicly weighed in on the souring relationship between Brown and Hurts.
“I don’t know the whole story, but I know that [Hurts] is trying and [Brown] could be a little better with how he responds to things,” Graham said in an appearance on WIP. “They were friends before this, but things have changed, and I understand that because life happens. But it’s the business side, that we have to make sure the personal doesn’t get in the way of the business.”
Graham’s comments — which he would later walk back — came after a win over the Carolina Panthers in which Brown said it was “incredibly tough” for a wide receiver to get into rhythm when the offense wasn’t passing the ball much. Philadelphia had been running the ball more frequently due to the emergence of Barkley, who would win NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Jan. 12, 2025: A Fox cameraman catches Brown reading a copy of the book Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy during the Eagles’ 22-10 wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers. The moment quickly became a viral sensation. Hurts targeted Brown just three times that game, so fans speculated that this was a tactic expressing frustration. Brown said it was all part of his routine for mental focus.
“I wasn’t frustrated at all. I figured that’s what y’all probably thought,” Brown said after the game. “Why do you always think I be frustrated? Dang. I like to read.”
Feb. 9, 2025: The Eagles defeated the Chiefs, 40-22, in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Brown recorded three catches for 43 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown reception, to capture his first Super Bowl title.
Days after the win, Brown took to Instagram to make some curious comments:
“I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all. It wasn’t,” Brown wrote. “My thrill for this game comes when I dominate. It’s the Hunt that does it for me. ... I love putting smiles on peoples faces, don’t get me wrong but it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. It’s the journey that I love the most.”
Nov. 11, 2025: After a quiet showing in a win over the Packers, the recently injured Brown went on a livestream to voice his frustration with his limited usage.
“I mean, no,” Brown responded, when streamer Janky Rondo asked if everything was going well with the Eagles. “Where have you been? Family is good. Everything else, no. It’s a [expletive] show.”
Brown doubled down on the comments days later.
“It’s not just solely about my situation. I want to win too,” Brown said. “I think if we’re really focused on winning and doing our job, we can’t just keep slapping a Band-Aid over the defense doing their job and getting us out of trouble. At what point are we going to pick up our slack as an offense?
“That’s what I’m getting at. ... You can’t keep slapping a Band-Aid over that and expect to win late in the year and think you’re going to go to that at the end of the year. It’s not going to [expletive] happen.”
Following these comments, Brown and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie reportedly had a positive meeting during a midweek practice.
Jan. 11, 2026: The unofficial end of the A.J. Brown era in Philadelphia came when the Eagles lost to the 49ers in the wild-card round. Brown had three drops in the game, with a crucial one occurring on the final drive. Fox cameras caught Sirianni and Brown exchanging words on the sideline while the coach was trying to get Brown off the field at the end of a failed drive. Sirianni downplayed the incident postgame.
April 23, 2026: After weeks of noncommittal statements from Roseman and Sirianni on Brown’s future with the team, the Eagles further signaled their intentions at the wide receiver position by trading up to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the No. 20 pick. Roseman and Co. selected another pass-catcher, Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, in the second round.
May 18, 2026: The Brown-Hurts drama made its way to TMZ. According to the tabloid site, Hurts did not attend Brown’s wedding, despite being the godfather of his daughter and with several Eagles teammates attending.
Hurts was asked about his relationship with Brown in his first news conference of the offseason last week.
“Nothing’s changed since we last spoke at the end of the season,” Hurts said. “We’re really good, and I saw how beautiful the pictures came out at his wedding. I’m very happy for him, and his wife and his family, and it’s a beautiful thing to step into the covenant.
“So I was very excited and congratulatory towards that.”
June 1, 2026: After months of buildup, Brown is finally dealt to the Patriots. He presumably concludes his Eagles career with 339 catches for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdown catches, all ranking within the top 15 in team annals.
Feast your ears and eyes! This week's organized team activities in South Philadelphia marked the first look at the 2026 edition of the Eagles. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner check in and report on the sounds and sights from practices and press conferences that could offer clues about the direction the Eagles are headed as preparations begin for next season. Listen here.
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