Eagles WR A.J. Brown Rips Radio Hosts: 'What's The Deal?'
It seems we can put the odd A.J. Brown trade rumors and concern to rest.
After being the center of trade topics and disgruntled rumors for weeks, the All-Pro wideout for the Philadelphia Eagles called into 94.1 WIP, Philly's top sports radio station, with an emphatic statement about the way the entire outlet has handled his two years with the organization.
© Bill Streicher, USA TODAY
“What’s the deal?" Brown said on the afternoon show hosted by former Eagle Ike Reese and Jack Fritz. "You guys are supposed to be supporting Philly but it doesn’t turn out to be that. Why make up so many rumors because most of the rumors don’t even be real rumors these are rumors that you guys are making up and everybody runs with.”
Despite setting team records in receptions for a single season (106), and putting up close to 3,000 yards since being traded to the Eagles, Brown's leadership has been called into question since he chose not to speak to the media during Philadelphia's late-season slide.
While the former Titan previously explained why he chose to go radio silent with the media, on Friday, Brown wasn't hiding his feelings for his disdain.
"No matter what I say, y'all are gonna run with something. It was never what the Eagles did/said, it was what A.J. said. So I didn’t wanna do my team like that, so I stopped talking.”
Brown's emphatic statements against Philadelphia's top sports radio station were evident throughout his interview. The former Ole Miss product defended not only his antics on the field (which at times caused people to question his relationship with the team) but also the quarterback who he has his personnel connections with.
"I think that is BS," Brown stated when talking about his relationship with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. "I'm not going to get into our relationship on the air...it wasn't a problem when I was on my six-game streak. They only started talking about that when we started losing."
And what of the organization's future with their leading receiver? Despite the franchise denying any trade talks, and most media pundits denying any conversations ever happened, speculation continued to grow at the station as a way to pinpoint a reason for the Eagles dropping six of their final seven games to end the 2023 season.
"People asking what happened, we were never really playing like the best team in the league, we had the best record in the league, but we were scratching it out. Later on, it just was a domino effect and we couldn’t stop the bleeding.”
Brown is looking to turn the corner to next season with Hurts and the rest of the Eagles still under contract. And despite those fault trade rumors, the Eagle that has been the most vocal since he arrived made it clear that there was nowhere else he would rather be.
"I want to be with the Eagles...It's as simple as that."
