A.J. Brown Suffered Similar Issue He Had In Final Years With Eagles In Patriots Debut

A.J. Brown isn't on the Philadelphia Eagles anymore. Time to move on right?

Eagles fans would love to do that, but Brown playing in the season opener for the team he was traded to -- and wanted to go to -- brought some eyeballs to the television in the Philadelphia area.

How was Brown going to fare? Would Drake Maye be that much better with Brown?

Brown finished with three catches for 26 yards, not having a completion on a throw of 10+ air yards. He didn't have an official target of 10+ air yards either, as Maye underthrew him on a flea flicker which he was open. The play resulted in a defensive pass interference, but Brown should have scored a touchdown.

The Patriots offense looked lost without Brown, who still is a top wide receiver. There was a issue that arose regarding Brown during his final years in Philadelphia.

The injury bug reared its ugly head again, but this time it wasn't the knee that limited Brown.

Brown suffered an ankle injury and left the game in the third quarter. The injury clearly affected the Patriots offense, and Brown's ability to produce big plays and change the game.

Since Brown left the game with 13:30 remaining in the third quarter, Maye went 12-of-18 for 99 yards with 0 TD and 3 INT for a 41.0 passer rating -- while being sacked three times.

The ankle injury is the concern here, something the Eagles -- unfortunately -- were too familar with during Brown's final years in Philadelphia.

Brown's recent injury history

Brown ended up missing time for the Eagles in each of the last two seasons with various injuries. He had a Grade 2 hamstring strain that caused him to miss three games in September 2024, and had the same injury that caused him to miss a game last season.

The Eagles have also dealt with Brown's knee conditions that have been a problem for several years, dating back to when the Titans traded him to Philadelphia in 2022. He even admitted late in the 2024 season he needed his knee drained twice a week to manage his injury.

All of these injuries were in the same leg which Brown suffered the ankle sprain. Coincidence?

Add onto how Brown has suffered the wear-and-tear on his body and is 29 years old. There were questions whether Brown was worth a first-round pick before he was traded, and the Eagles were able to get one for him anyway -- even if it was in 2028.

Injuries affecting production

How long Brown will be out is unknown, but it did follow a familiar pattern the Eagles were accustomed to over the past few years. Brown is still a great player, but the injuries have been a part of his story.

The Eagles were going to take a hit at wide receiver without Brown, and that will show on numerous occasions in 2026. Long term, the decision to move on was the right call -- for the Eagles.

Not like Brown gave them a choice anyway.

Brown's yards per route run have dropped in each of the last two years, including a career-low 2.09 yards last year. This is a result of knee injuries and a hamstring injury that seemed to have lingered over the last several years.

The yards per route run in his Patriots debut? 1.63.

Brown's yards per separation have dropped every season since 2022, including a career-low 1.8 yards last year. The injuries could have played a role in that decline as well.

The Eagles traded away an older, banged-up version of a great player. Brown is still going to be great with the Patriots when he's on the field, but he has to stay on the field.

An injury in his Patriots debut was not a good sign, even though there's a lot of the season still to be played.

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