A.J. Brown Hate Is Over The Top For All He Contributed to Eagles

Not long ago, it was laughable the Philadelphia Eagles would possess a 1,000-yard wide receiver.

The franchise went nearly a decade without a wideout that had a 1,000-yard season. Jeremy Maclin was the last to do it in 2024, a full eight years before A.J. Brown arrived in Philadelphia.

Plenty of wide receivers suited up for the Eagles between Maclin and Brown. None were even on the same stratosphere as Brown, who had four 1,000-yard seasons and three Second Team All-Pro selections in four seasons with the Eagles.

Brown had 5,034 receiving yards in his four seasons with the Eagles, the most over a four-year stretch for any player in franchise history. Only one player in the history of the franchise has four seasons with 1,000 receiving yards in an Eagles uniform -- and that's Brown.

So why all the dislike on social media? Why all the ridicule for a player who's time with the Eagles has run its course? For both Brown and the Eagles?

Brown's quiet farewell

The worst kept secret in the NFL is the Eagles and Brown agreeing to part ways. Whether that's Brown wanting out and the Eagles willing to acquiesce to his request, both sides appear ready to move on.

Brown hasn't spoken on the matter, and for good reason. He's vented his frustrations with the offense, knowing the passing game didn't match the production. The Eagles fell short of matching their offensive talent, which has bothered Brown over the last two seasons.

The relationship with Jalen Hurts isn't what it once was, but it hasn't soured to the point where the two aren't friends. The football relationship is different than the personal.

Social media has spoken for Brown, which is unfair. The Eagles have won a lot of games despite Brown's frustrations internally, and yet he's been the consummate teammate in the locker room. Plenty of Brown's teammates have spoken highly of him, and he's kept close relationships with ones still on the Eagles and not.

Former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers even showed up to Brown's youth football camp in Allentown over the weekend. Brown declined to speak to the media about his future after the camp and told the campers a message that he "loved them all" and "don't care what they all hear out there."

Staying silent and letting others talk -- wrongly -- about Brown has paid off for him. Sometimes things just run its course.

The Eagles got the best from Brown

The best years from Brown are going to be in an Eagles uniform.

Brown is 11th in the NFL in receptions (339), fifth in receiving yards (5,034), 11th in yards per catch (14.8), 13th in yards after the catch (1,646), and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (32) since the start of the 2022 season -- his first in an Eagles uniform. The Eagles are 50-18 since trading for Brown, an astonishing .735 winning percentage.

The Eagles won two conference championships and won a Super Bowl with Brown. He was the first 1,000-yard wide receiver the Eagles had since Maclin (2014). Of the Eagles' 13 seasons of 1,000 yards by a wide reciever since 2000, Brown has four of them.

The Eagles got the prime years of Brown, no matter how you slice it.

There are signs of Brown's decline, starting with last year. The numbers were down compared to previous seasons, as Brown's 1,003 receiving yards were the lowest he's had in a season since 2021 (869) and the 12.9 yards per catch were the lowest of his seven-year career.

Brown's yards per separation have dropped every season since 2022, including a career-low 1.8 yards last year -- ranked 135th out of 135 qualified receivers. This is a result of knee injuries and a hamstring injury that seems to have lingered over the last several years.

Brown will also be 29 in June. There's still some good football ahead of him, but the red flags are there that Brown could be heading towards a downturn in his career.

Reality is finally being accepted

Perhaps the vitriol towards Brown is the realization the star wideout is finally getting traded. There were plenty from the outside world that Brown and the Eagles were ready to move on.

Remember Brown hasn't been traded yet, but that's expected to be a reality come June 1. The Eagles have added four wide receivers this offseason to compensate the inevitable trade, the most notable drafting Makai Lemon in the first round and acquiring Dontayvion Wicks last month.

Brown has been frustrated for a while, and accomplished his goal of winning a Super Bowl. He wants a new challenge while the Eagles are willing to take care of a player who wants to move on -- in the most professional way possible.

Brown will be remembered as a franchise great and perhaps will have a spot in the Eagles Wall of Fame. Time does heal all wounds, especially if the Eagles continue to have success without Brown.

No Eagles wideout has had a four-year stretch like Brown, and it will be hard to replicate Brown's run. The relationship got the best years from the Eagles and Brown, and it should be left at that.

Kicking Brown out the door while he's leaving isn't the answer. The Eagles will move on and win games, while Brown will have success elsewhere.

Perhaps someday the whole story will come out between Brown and the Eagles. If anyone is actually willing to listen to it and not their truth.

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