A.J. Brown has moved on from the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, with his former squad in town this week for joint practices and a preseason game against his new team, the New England Patriots, Brown faced plenty of questions about the tumultuous end of his Eagles tenure.
While reporters and fans want to know more about his feelings surrounding that chapter of his career, Brown made clear that his attention is firmly on his new home. He repeatedly downplayed any animosity towards Philadelphia. Brown is instead focused on himself and what lies ahead for the Patriots.
A.J. Brown’s Complicated Eagles Tenure
Brown experienced overwhelming success in his four seasons with the Eagles. He elevated Philadelphia’s offense, resulting in the franchise’s two best single-season receiving yard campaigns and a Super Bowl victory.
Despite that, Brown felt frustrated with his usage in the Eagles’ offense in recent years. His receiving production and yards per game declined in each of his four seasons with the Eagles. He still managed 1,003 yards across 15 games in 2025 – a strong year, but not quite to his standards.
“According to sources, [Jalen] Hurts was a part of the receiver’s frustrations, based in part on Brown not being targeted as much as he felt he should have been against zone coverage,” Eagles beat reporter Tim McManus wrote for ESPN.
The rift between him and the team became a public storyline. Between him reading a mental training manual on the sidelines of a playoff game, cryptic social media posts, and several other public comments, Brown and the Eagles’ relationship seemed to erode over time.
How Did Brown Perform Against the Eagles in Practice?
Brown put on a show against his former team over the two days of practice this week.
On Wednesday, Brown caught seven passes on seven targets for a personal-best day this summer (H/T @ByMarkDaniels). He followed that up with another strong showing on Thursday, particularly in the red zone — which for a team that ranked 20th in red zone touchdown percentage last season, is a promising development.
As encouraging as Brown’s on-field production was, the mindset he displayed in answering questions stood out just as much.
“It’s already in the rear-view,” Brown told reporters following Wednesday’s practice. “I’m focused on my everyday process and trying to get better each and every day. I’m not giving life to anything other than this moment.”
The first live rep of Wednesday’s practice was a one-on-one between Brown and Eagles star cornerback Quinyon Mitchell on a deep shot to the end zone. The ball hit Brown in his left hand before falling out of bounds.
Brown laughingly said he believes he won the rep, with Mitchell grabbing at him for what could have been called pass interference. Regardless, he took accountability for the failure to convert.
“I just got to finish the play,” Brown said. “My right hand didn’t get to the ball quick enough; my left hand got on the ball, that’s on me. Attention to detail: catching the ball high, not letting it get low… It’s never about who I’m going against. It’s the little things. That could’ve been a 40-yard bomb, and now it’s a long foul ball. Those are the things that I’m focusing on, and I’m just trying to get better each and every day.”
A.J. Brown Is Looking Ahead With Drake Maye
Brown’s attention to detail also carries over to his budding relationship with his new quarterback, Drake Maye.
Maye threw two interceptions when targeting Brown in Thursday’s practice. The first was during red zone drills, where Maye tried to force a tight throw to Brown in the front corner of the end zone, which Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen sat on and took the other way. The other was a slant to Brown to open 11-on-11s. As Brown went to the ground, Woolen ripped the ball loose, popping it up and into the hands of Jalyx Hunt.
“There’s definitely been some challenges, but he’s very special,” Brown said about Maye. “He makes my job a lot easier. Learning how he sees the game and getting on the same page — there’s definitely a learning curve, and we’ll continue to keep working at that.”
With superstar talent on both ends of the quarterback-receiver tandem, the pairing could be one of the NFL’s most explosive in 2026. However, still in August practices, the two will need to show that on Sundays in the fall, not weekdays in the summer.
A.J. Brown Makes Amends and Move On
Brown had said on Wednesday that he and Hurts had not spoken since the trade — perhaps symbolic of both Brown’s intentions of moving forward, as well as some bad blood that existed during the end of his Philadelphia tenure. However, after practice on Thursday, Brown and Hurts were seen finally catching up.
The reconciliation between the two, even if it was brief, is a sign of maturity and moving on for both parties.
Much of the dialogue around Brown’s past couple of seasons has been shrouded in negativity. Through his answers with the media, he is trying his best to put that to rest and focus on the future.
“It’s love,” Brown said on Wednesday about his former team. “I won a Super Bowl ring with them. It will always be love no matter how anyone feels. I love Philly, and I will always love Philly, but I’m here now. That’s where my feet are, and that’s what I’m focused on.”
The week showed that Brown’s attention is on what’s to come, not what he left behind in Philadelphia. With buy-in for the season ahead, Brown is ready to roll in helping the Patriots live up to their full potential.
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