It's Time For Eagles To Move On From A.J. Brown

PHILADELPHIA – It would have been nice to get A.J. Brown’s take on the sideline dust-up he had with his coach Nick Sirianni during the Eagles’ season-ending, 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Except Brown has ceased talking.

It would have been nice to hear how he dropped three passes, which was a season-long affliction for the talented receiver.

Except Brown hasn’t talked since he dropped a few passes at SoFi Stadium, including one in the end zone that may have turned what was the Eagles’ third loss in a row at that point into a win. That was Dec. 8. Since then, he has gone silent.

That’s no way for a team captain to act. Team captains take accountability. They show leadership, especially in time of need. The Eagles needed more from him this season.

Instead, he mentally checked out when he started complaining about the offense, the play calling, and the system. His focus was sorely lacking, as evidenced by his season-long propensity to drop passes that, in the past, he has caught.

Sirianni came to Brown’s defense, saying he’ll catch 9,000 balls and have one drop, but is it just me or did this sound like a good-bye when he answered the question about the sideline flareup that required security chief Dom DiSandro step in to separate them?

“I love A.J,” said Sirianni. “I think he knows how I feel about him. I have a special relationship with him. We've probably [gone] through every emotion you can possibly have together. We've laughed together, we've cried together, we've yelled at each other. We're both emotional. I was trying to get him off the field, and that happens in this game. That happens in this game, but I love him.”

Brown is a Hall of Fame talent who logged three very good seasons with the Eagles. This one wasn’t anything close to very good. He helped them get to two Super Bowls, winning one, but it’s time to let him go finish writing his Hall of Fame resume elsewhere. It would do him and the team good. It’s time to trade him.

To do that would require a big salary-cap hit, around $20 million, if he is dealt before June 1, but that hasn’t stopped the Eagles from moving on from a player. Remember in 2021 when they unloaded Carson Wentz and absorbed a $33 million cap hit. Brown’s number pales in comparison to that.

In various parts of the locker room on Sunday, with the offseason staring them in their faces, leaders like Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun stood before reporters and made their feelings known. Jordan Mailata or Jordan Davis didn’t hide, either.

Whether Brown talks on Monday at the team’s locker room cleanout day doesn’t matter. His silence for the past month has spoken volumes. It’s time for him to go.

More NFL: Eagles Season Ends With 23-19 Loss To 49ers And Plenty Of Questions