A.J. Brown Reveals His Approach To The Recently Passed Trade Deadline

PHILADELPHIA – The national rumors were rampant about A.J. Brown being sent packing at the NFL trade deadline earlier in the week. They couldn’t have been more wrong.

Those misinformed reports were shot down by Howie Roseman with a bazooka minutes after the deadline came and went and the receiver was still in Philly.

“When you're trying to be a great team, it's hard to trade great players and A.J. Brown's a great player,” said Roseman, breaking out the heavy artillery. “He wears the ‘C’ for a reason. He's an important part of this team, of this organization. He cares about winning, he cares about his teammates, and I think that when you're a team like ours that is looking forward to an opportunity to compete for a championship, you just don't get rid of guys like that.”

Maybe on some level Brown knew that. Maybe it was even conveyed to him, though he didn’t sound like he had any inside info when he spoke at his locker following Thursday’s practice, the Eagles’ first since being off after beating the New York Giants on Oct. 26.

“You can’t focus on it,” he said. “Like I said, my attention was on my family. Because what was going to happen was going to happen. I can’t stop it.”

A.J. Brown Gives Short Answers

Brown gave a nine-word answer when asked point-blank if still wanted to be with the Eagles.

“Have I said anything to not be here? Yeah,” he said.

His answer was even shorter – four words - when he was asked about his state of mind.

“I’m ready to go,” he said.

It got a little weird later, when Brown laughed when asked if the offense has just begun to scratch the surface.

“I think we’re trending in the right direction,” he laughed. “Guys, I’m not a coach.”

He also added later in the interview, when asked what his process was to handle all the external noise that surrounds him.

“I don’t have a process,” Brown said. “It is what it is. It just kind of comes with it. I’ve learned that, and I’ve accepted that.”

It shouldn’t be lost on anyone, least of all Brown, that the Eagles’ offense operated as smoothly and efficiently as it had all season in that 38-20 win over the Giants. It was the first time the Eagles had outgained an opponent all season in total yards.

The passing game clicked, with Jalen Hurts throwing four touchdowns, and so did the running game, with Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby both running for more than 100 yards, becoming the first running back tandem in team history to do that in 12 years.

Afterward, nobody was complaining. Brown said he didn’t want to get into how smoothly the offense ran without him.

“I hope all of it pays off, honestly,” the receiver said about the offense. “I’m just focusing on doing what I need to do, and that’s running my route, catching the ball when my opportunity comes, and making the most of it. I’m not going to get into too much of that.”

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