Following a disappointing finish to the 2023 NFL season, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown scrubbed his social media accounts and avoided speaking to the media. That, among other things, led Philadelphia’s 94WIP to conduct a Twitter/X poll last month that gauged fan sentiment on a potential trade involving Brown and Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
While most fans voted against the trade, the idea sparked strong disapproval from sports radio personality Howard Eskin against his station.
While Brown remained publicly neutral on the trade rumors, which fueled speculation, he has voiced his frustration with suggestions that his sideline demeanor and perceived discontent contributed to the Eagles’ struggles last season. Breaking his silence this week on Twitter, Brown sharply criticized the Philadelphia media for consistently generating false stories driven by their pursuit of views. He believes this negativity misleads fans and contributes to a toxic environment that ultimately harms the team’s image.
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Friday saw Brown call into WIP’s afternoon show, which allowed him to clear the air while reaffirming his desire to remain with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I have no problem; I want to be here,” Brown said. “It’s as simple as that. I love where I’m at; it’s as simple as that. Next question.”
When questioned about rumors surrounding his relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts, Brown dismissed them as “total BS.” He emphasized that his connection with Hurts wasn’t an issue during a six-game streak that saw him become the first player in NFL history to record 125 receiving yards in six consecutive games, and that the negativity only arose during the team’s losing streak. He further pointed out that challenges and disagreements are common across all teams, involving coaches, players, and everyone else.
Brown turned the tables on Reese and Jack Fritz, having a couple of questions for WIP’s afternoon co-hosts.
“What’s the deal? You guys are supposed to be supporting Philly, but it don’t turn out to be that,” said Brown. “Like, why make up so many rumors? Because most of the rumors don’t even be real rumors. These are rumors that you guys are making up, and everybody runs with. So, like, what’s the deal?”
Brown expressed his dissatisfaction with the way Philadelphia media portrayed him, feeling that they unfairly criticized and misinterpreted his actions.
“I think a lot of stuff be personal towards me, though,” said Brown, “even the whole ‘diva’ thing and all this. I mean, listen, I know you guys be talking; majority of the news that come out of your show be negative all the time. And I understand where you trying to get clicks and views and this and that, but, I don’t think that’s the way to go.
“I think you should be authentic, and you should handle it the right way. But that’s not how that show been going. I wanted to come on the show and talk to you guys a little bit and see what’s going on because it just doesn’t make sense.
“And I made the statement like you guys are our biggest haters. Like we got to prove to the media — not just necessarily your radio show but mostly the media that we can play ball or we can meet the standard. It shouldn’t be like that. I never dealt with nothing like that.
“I’m not trying to change media. I’m not here to change media. But I just felt like I’m gonna give you guys 10 minutes, and I’m gonna answer whatever questions you want to ask. And honestly, I just feel like we gave you the answers; people just didn’t want to accept the answers. And that’s alright too, but you can speculate; you can do whatever, but it just doesn’t make sense, and it’s just not the way to go.”
He explained that his primary motivation for calling into WIP was to defend some of his teammates, like Hurts. Brown continued to express frustration with the prevalence of what he perceived as unfounded rumors that have continued to circulate in the media since the season’s end.
He also feels like he’s constantly misunderstood.
“It gets frustrating because anything I say or do, it gets magnified times 10. I’m classified as a diva. I want the ball, this and that, blah blah blah,” he said. “But when it’s the other way around — you’ve seen me get upset on the sideline, and you automatically think it’s about targets. No, what if I’m holding my players accountable? What if I’m the guy that pushes everybody in the locker room, makes people uncomfortable to try to better themselves and the team? What if I’m that guy? You don’t see it as much from Jalen because that’s not his personality.
“But, honestly, I’m the person you need on the team because I’m going to hold people accountable and make people around me better, but nobody sees that. All you see is the little flare-ups and stuff like that. I can honestly say you see the flare-ups because nobody in that building works harder than me.
“Nobody in that building prepares harder than me, more than me. I can stand on that and say that. That’s why you see the passion. That’s why you see me react the way I act. Because nobody’s spending that time like me. I know for a fact. I’m misunderstood. I’m not even trying to be understood by people because you’re not going to understand me because you’re not in my shoes.”
