Eagles Support A.J. Brown, Don't View His Comments As A Distraction

About to play one of their biggest games of the season againsst the Detroit Lions, Eagles players reacted to their star receiver's comments.

Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata and teammates continue to be asked questions about A.J. Brown. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – Nick Sirianni said he didn’t think the never-ending drama around the outspoken and highly-critical A.J. Brown was a distraction. Yet, Thursday rolled around and, 72 hours before kicking off in what will be the latest in a season-long string of difficult challenges when they host the Detroit Lions, players were still taking questions about Brown.

His teammates aren’t publicly saying that Brown is wrong for going public with his complaints about an offense and a coordinator in Kevin Patullo that can’t find a way to get him the ball on a consistent basis. In other words, they got his back.

“As his teammate, I can understand his frustrations,” said left tackle Jordan Mailata, “but for me, I’m just gonna stay in my lane as an offensive lineman, like, OK, if we’re not giving the ball to him, OK, how can I affect that? Am I going to just go to KP (offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo) and tell him to get the ball to AJ?

“That doesn’t help anything. That doesn’t come up with a solution. So, for me saying, I agree AJ, get him the ball. I’d be the 15th person in the building doing the same thing. All I can do is make him feel supported.”

Saquon Barkley Can Relate to What A.J. Brown Is Saying

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Mailata rightly pointed out that it’s not an A.J. problem but it’s an everybody on offense problem.

“I don’t think AJ’s wrong, you know?” he said. “That’s the way he feels, that’s the way he feels. I just think there is truth to it. I play on the offense as well, and we get in a rut so many times in games. ...Sometimes, and I can speak on this now because I’ve played in this league a long time now, but that’s just how ball goes sometimes. That’s just how it is.”

Brown is the only speaking out about it, whether that’s right or wrong. Or whether it will be a distraction.

This is what Saquon Barkley said: “We know we gotta improve, and that’s the mindset. Whether we score 10 or we score 40, AJ is not saying anything wrong – we’re always looking for room to improve.”

Mailata again: “We talk about contribution over credit. That’s one of the big sayings in the past couple months, so I think that’s where AJ’s coming from.”

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