Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown apologized this week for his cryptic social media posts.
The three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl wideout has not seen the ball thrown to him much through the first quarter of the 2025 season, and has taken to posting cryptic messages on X about it. Speaking to reporters at his locker on Oct. 1, Brown said he was simply venting his frustrations, but also that he maintains open communication with his coaches and teammates.
“I want to start off by saying obviously Sunday after the game, I let my frustrations boil over,” Brown said in an opening statement before reporters asked questions.
“I didn’t speak to the media. I had a chance to correct my frustrations and I continued to let it boil over. That’s on me, and I take full accountability on that, posting that. My message on [X] was not directed at anyone in the building, not my coaches, not my quarterback, my GM, nobody. I take full accountability. I have open communication with all my coaches and with my quarterback as well. Me and my coaches, [offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo] and [head coach] Nick [Sirianni], we discuss weekly about trying to get on the same page.”
The quote post has been deleted.
Against the Buccaneers, Brown had just two catches for seven yards: a short pass for negative yardage; and a slant route to convert a third down on the very next play. However, he was targeted nine times, the most on the team. Three of those incompletions were on deep passes that quarterback Jalen Hurts simply missed. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Hurts missed Brown three times in a row, leading to a three-and-out. On the next possession, Hurts threw to Brown on a deep hook route, but the pass was broken up by Bucs cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
It has been tough sledding for Brown so far this year. Through the first quarter of the season, Brown has 14 catches on 28 targets for 151 yards and a touchdown. He is on pace for roughly 56 catches—close to his career low from his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans in 2019, when he had 52 receptions—604 yards and four TDs; both career lows. His lack of production is so notable, it has been mentioned several times by TV broadcast crews.
He had his best game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3, with six receptions for 109 yards and his lone score.
Brown explained why he was frustrated.
“Absolutely it is tough, because you want to help contribute to the win,” he said. “It’s tough to stay engaged because we’re on an island. A lot of things [have] to go right. The ball has to come. Guys have to block up front, and then we’ve got to do our job and win and then make the play. [If] you don’t get targets, you don’t see the ball for half the game—two hours—man, it’s hard to stay engaged, but we’re professionals and we continue to try to make the most of it when our number’s called.”
For Brown, it’s not about padding the stat sheet. As he pointed out: In the third quarter of the Rams game, he ran a slant-and-go route down the sideline for a big gain. On the next play, the safety rotated to cover Brown and Hurts found tight end Dallas Goedert wide open down the seam for a touchdown that kick-started the Eagles’ comeback victory.
“I see that we’re struggling, and I’m a guy that wants the ball in those times when we can’t find a way,” he said. “When the game’s on the line, give the ball to me. I want that. I want that pressure. I put it on myself, and I work hard for it. ... And so that’s where you see that frustration, because that hunger comes out and ‘cause I see we struggling and I believe that [if] you give the ball to me, I’m going to open up things and I’m going to get this thing going. You can put it on my back.”
He also made it clear that he did not want out of Philadelphia.
“This is my home,” he said. “I love it here. But you just see frustration ‘cause obviously, we want to be great, and most definitely, I want to be great as well.”
Brown said he and Hurts and the offensive coaches are working to “get on the same page,” and that he was optimistic that the offense—which has struggled with consistency this season—will come into its own soon.
