Eagles' Coach Lauds Superstar's 'Mental Toughness'

PHILADELPHIA - Superstar receiver A.J. Brown started his fourth season in Philadelphia last week in an unfamiliar role.

The three-time All-Pro went 58-plus minutes without touching the football against the Dallas Cowboys or even being targeted by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Yet, head coach Nick Sirianni decided to single out Brown’s mental toughness after the game.

That’s because Brown’s one reception, a short eight-yard advance on second-and-11 from the Dallas 45-yard line with 1:45 remaining, turned a potential third-and-long into third-and-short, allowing Hurts to undress an undisciplined Cowboys pass rush on the next play to secure a 24-20 victory.

“What about that mental toughness by A.J. Brown?” Sirianni said on Monday when asked about the lack of traffic Brown and running mate DeVonta Smith had in the game. “‘OK, the ball hasn’t come to me in three quarters.’ “That might be the first time that's ever happened to him in his career as a football player because he's such a good player and you're always trying to find ways to do that.”

Sirianni was correct, Brown has never seen the ball less in his entire NFL career, yet he was ready when needed.

“He makes a play in a critical moment when his number was called,” the coach said. “You look for moments like that to really show and preach the stuff that's important to your core values and your culture. And that was just a great example by one of our captains of, ‘hey, it didn't go exactly the way you wanted it to go or any of us envisioned it going.’ That's life, that's football. But when called upon and the ball did come your way, you made this huge play.”

Most Important Play

Immediately after the game, Hurts called what is typically just a pedestrian play by Brown “the most important play of the game.”

Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Entering Thursday night against the Cowboys, Brown had played in 90 career NFL games dating back to his days in Tennessee and had never gone without a single target.

The only time the WR1 has had one target came in Week 18 of the 2023 season against the New York Giants when Brown was forced to leave after 12 plays due to a knee injury.

Both Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo routinely acknowledge that the Eagles’ passing game goes through Brown, Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert, but that the personality of certain games may limit what that looks like.

“‘Yeah, A.J., DeVonta, Dallas, the pass game runs through you, but there are going to be games like this, where you might not get the touches that we want you to get and that we know that you want to get because it can help us win the football game,’” Sirianni said. “And in those moments, what are you doing to change the football game without the ball in your hands?”

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