The A.J. Brown era came to an end for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday as they agreed to a blockbuster trade with the New England Patriots.
Brown was visibly frustrated with his role on the Eagles last season. There were also rumblings about him not being on the same page as his quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Well, the Eagles broke up that duo this week by sending Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
"Playing for this city has been an honor, and I'm thankful for every moment I had in midnight green," Brown wrote on Instagram. "Thank you, Philly. Much love always. God bless."
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Brown sat down with NBC's Maria Taylor for a one-on-one interview on "7PM in Brooklyn." As you'd imagine, he was asked about his connection with Hurts. He admit they're not nearly as close as they used to be.
“Not as close as we once were,” Brown said. “And I believe that’s fine. There’s no bad blood. There’s actually still a lot of love. I love him. I love him to death. I want him to succeed and accomplish all the things that he wants to accomplish. I didn’t truly understand why our friendship became center of everybody’s attention when it came to football because, looking back on it, we haven’t been as close as we were a couple years now. But that didn’t stop anything. We still competed, we still pushed each other, we still led the team."
Even though Brown's relationship with Hurts deteriorated during his time in Philly, he's still wishing his former quarterback all the best on and off the field.
"It was just kind of strange, people just got so fixated on the relationship and wanted to talk about — maybe from the history of this place," Brown continued. "But that wasn’t what this was. I’m going to say it to you, I’m going to say it on camera: I got nothing but love for him. I want him to do well and accomplish everything that his heart desires."
New beginning for A.J. Brown.
Brown had 339 catches for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns during his run with the Eagles. There's no question he's one of the top playmakers at his position.
Although going from the Eagles to the Patriots will be quite the adjustment, Brown will get to reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel. He'll also get to team up with one of the best young quarterbacks in the game in Drake Maye.
Time will tell if the Patriots made the right move acquiring Brown from the Eagles.
