A.J. Brown's Reported Final Message to Eagles Only Sours His Relationship to the Fanbase

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Though it was well-known for months that the Eagles were going to be trading wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots, that hasn’t stopped his departure from causing a ruckus.
Last week, Brown was officially traded to New England after four seasons in Philadelphia. As he exited for the Patriots, he shared a heartfelt letter to the Eagles fanbase. His sit-down interview with NBC’s Maria Taylor was also released, addressing his relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts, his final season as an Eagle and how he handled the team’s struggles.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, when Brown went to pick up his things at the Eagles’ facility, he signed the picture of him in the building with the message, “The best to ever play here. Always open.”
From @gmfb: A.J. Brown stopped by the #Eagles’ facility last week to pick up some items, say goodbye and leave a parting message on the wall.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 9, 2026
Meanwhile, as for the conspiracy theory floating around on what led to the Brown-Hurts rift, Big Dom and others are adamant it’s bogus. pic.twitter.com/M134pe9j8d
Garafolo added that Eagles longtime security officer Big Dom has been “adamant” that there is no truth to the unsubstantiated rumors that have surfaced surrounding Brown and former Eagles linebacker Hassan Reddick.
Few players have produced a more standout four-year stint with a team in recent memory than Brown on the Eagles. Between four 1,000-yard receiving seasons, two Super Bowl appearances, a championship win, his sideline reading material and cryptic social media posts amid the offense’s struggles, Brown’s time in Philadelphia was certainly never boring.
While Brown was great as an Eagle, calling himself the best to ever play there is a bold statement. As some fans were to quick to point out as well, Brown is only eighth all-time among Eagles in receiving yards, sitting behind Hall of Famers such as Harold Carmichael and Pete Pihos, and fellow champion pass-catchers including Pihos, Zach Ertz, Pete Retzlaff, Tommy McDonald and Bobby Walston. After all, Brown spent just four seasons with the team before he was traded because he wanted to head elsewhere.
Related: A.J. Brown Timeline: The Many Tumultuous Moments That Led to Patriots Trade
Ultimately, both the Brown and Eagles are moving on from what was “a good run,” as coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Tuesday. “I would say it was a lot of good years here. Done a lot of good things with A.J. here.”
Nick Sirianni on the departure of A.J. Brown. pic.twitter.com/UPo1oU09mQ
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) June 9, 2026
Siriannni quickly turned the focus to how excited he is about the Eagles current receiving room, from veteran DeVonta Smith getting more opportunities to the additions of players such as rookie Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks. Sirianni highlighted Lemon’s toughness and noted that Wicks has a “unique skillset” due to his ability to get in and out of breaks, even noting he sees some Keenan Allen in his game.
The Eagles are moving forward, but as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes, Brown remains a popular figure in the locker room, as evidenced by Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean expressing their respect for him in recent weeks. Brown, for his part, has wasted no time getting acquainted with his new Patriots teammates and coaches, as they praised him last week when he joined the team at last.
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Eva Geitheim is an NFL writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or rewatching Gilmore Girls.