{"id":208639,"date":"2026-06-02T18:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/208639\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T18:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:24:15","slug":"a-j-brown-timeline-detailing-how-the-wrs-philadelphia-eagles-tenure-unfolded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/208639\/","title":{"rendered":"A.J. Brown timeline: Detailing how the WR\u2019s Philadelphia Eagles tenure unfolded"},"content":{"rendered":"

The multiyear saga between the Philadelphia Eagles and wide receiver A.J. Brown finally reached its inevitable conclusion<\/a> with Monday\u2019s trade to the New England Patriots. A partnership that began with a draft-day trade in 2022 produced two Super Bowl appearances, one championship and multiple chapters of turmoil and drama.<\/p>\n

As Brown begins a new chapter as a member of the Patriots \u2014 with him set to be introduced Tuesday afternoon \u2014 and the Eagles prepare for their first season without Brown since 2021, here\u2019s a timeline of how we arrived at this point.<\/p>\n

April 26, 2019: Tennessee Titans draft Brown in second round<\/p>\n

Considering how the end of Brown\u2019s tenure with the Eagles played out and where he\u2019s headed, it\u2019s fascinating to watch a video<\/a> from the day Brown was drafted.<\/p>\n

Brown was tossing around a football with friends and family when then-Titans general manager Jon Robinson called to say Tennessee was going to select him. Jalen Hurts, who shared a longstanding friendship with Brown, was the first person to congratulate the wide receiver.<\/p>\n

The next person to welcome Brown to the NFL was Mike Vrabel, who was in his second season as the Titans\u2019 head coach and is now the Patriots\u2019 head coach.<\/p>\n

April 2022: Week before the NFL Draft<\/p>\n

Despite 105 targets in 2021 \u2014 only one fewer than 2020 and 21 more than in his rookie year in 2019 \u2014 Brown had career lows in yards and touchdowns. Brown was eligible for an extension with one year remaining on his rookie deal. However, the Titans and Brown\u2019s camp were unable to agree on a value for the wide receiver\u2019s second contract.<\/p>\n

Brown had a birthday party for his 2-year-old daughter the week before the 2022 draft. Hurts, the girl\u2019s godfather, was in attendance. There were conversations about Brown\u2019s future in the NFL as the two players worked out together on the field. Hurts, who once tried to recruit Brown out of high school to join him at Alabama, \u201cput a bug\u201d in the ears of the Eagles\u2019 brass.<\/p>\n

April 28, 2022: Trade to the Eagles<\/p>\n

The Titans traded Brown on Day 1 of the 2022 draft to the Eagles in exchange for first- and third-round picks (Nos. 18 and 101). Brown then agreed to a four-year extension worth $100 million. The $25 million per year average was the fourth-highest among NFL wide receivers at the time.<\/p>\n

The Eagles posted a video<\/a> on the night of the trade of Hurts and Brown on a FaceTime call with each other, laughing uncontrollably.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, boy, boy,\u201d Hurts said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, let\u2019s do it,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSay no more,\u201d Hurts responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always joked about\u201d playing together, Brown said<\/a> in his opening news conference with the Eagles. \u201cBut we never thought that it would be reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Philadelphia<\/p>\n

\n Longtime friends Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown were united after Brown was traded to the Eagles in 2022. (Eric Hartline \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

2023 regular season: Best stretch, followed by silence<\/p>\n

The Eagles went from being ranked 25th in passing yards per game in 2021 to No. 9 in 2022, as Brown set career highs in yards and touchdowns.<\/p>\n

As great as the 2022 season was for Brown and the Eagles, the receiver\u2019s most dominant stretch came in his second season in Philly. Brown had receiving totals of 131, 175, 127, 131, 137 and 130, respectively, and caught five touchdown passes from Week 3 through Week 8. The Eagles went 5-1 in those games.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia faltered down the stretch, going 1-5 in its final six games. Brown didn\u2019t top 100 yards in any of the final five games. Body language aside, Brown also didn\u2019t share his frustrations publicly, declining to speak with reporters.<\/p>\n

Brown broke that silence<\/a> before the team\u2019s regular-season finale.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll you see is, \u2018A.J. Brown is frustrated. A.J. this. A.J. that,’\u201d Brown said. \u201cEverybody in this locker room is frustrated. So why are you singling me out because I\u2019m frustrated? Just because I\u2019m shaking my head, I\u2019m showing emotion? You can look at everybody in the stadium has bad body language. They\u2019re frustrated.\u201d<\/p>\n

April 25, 2024: A second contract extension<\/p>\n

The Eagles signed Brown to a three-year extension<\/a> worth $96 million almost two years after they traded for him, and with three years remaining on the extension he initially signed in Philadelphia. That locked Brown in through the 2029 season.<\/p>\n

2024 regular season: Eagles\u2019 offense undergoes identity shift<\/p>\n

The Eagles made a major splash in free agency by signing running back Saquon Barkley a little over a month before Brown\u2019s extension.<\/p>\n

Barkley\u2019s arrival changed the dynamics of their offensive philosophy. They had a top-10 rushing attack in 2022 and 2023, but Barkley spearheaded a ground game in 2024 that ranked second in the NFL at nearly 180 yards rushing per game. Barkley led the NFL in rushing, earned first-team All-Pro honors and was named the league\u2019s Offensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n

The Eagles ranked No. 12 in the NFL in passing yards per game across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Philadelphia tumbled to the bottom five in 2024, ranking No. 29 in the league.<\/p>\n

Brown finished the season with 67 catches for 1,079 yards in 13 games, all figures that were the lowest since he arrived in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Dec. 9, 2024: Brandon Graham comments on Brown\u2019s relationship with Hurts<\/p>\n

One day after Brown had four catches for 43 yards in an Eagles win over the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia defensive end Brandon Graham spoke about the relationship between Hurts and Brown during his weekly radio appearance on SportsRadio WIP<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know the whole story, but I know that 1 (Hurts) is trying,\u201d Graham said. \u201cEleven (Brown) could be a little better with how he responds to things. They were friends before this, but things have changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Graham was on injured reserve when he made the comments after playing in 11 games that season.<\/p>\n

Jan. 12, 2025: Cameras catch Brown reading a book during a game<\/p>\n

Brown was seen on the sideline of the team\u2019s wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers reading a book.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Brown, who caught one pass for 10 yards in the game, later said he was reading \u201cInner Excellence,\u201d and that he read it often during games. Brown was targeted seven times the next week but only caught two passes for 14 yards in a divisional round win over the Los Angeles Rams.<\/p>\n

Feb. 11, 2025: Post-Super Bowl social media post<\/p>\n

Brown shared some thoughts in a caption on Instagram<\/a> two days after the Eagles capped that 2024 season with a dominant win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl: \u201cI\u2019ve never been a champion at the highest level before, but I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all,\u201d Brown wrote. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t. My thrill for this game comes when I dominate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Philadelphia<\/p>\n

\n A.J. Brown had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles\u2019 40-22 Super Bowl LIX win. (Geoff Burke \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Sept. 28, 2025: \u2018If you\u2019re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw.\u2019<\/p>\n

The start of the 2025 season was a rocky one for Brown. He saw one target in the team\u2019s Week 1 win. He had five catches on eight targets for 27 yards in Week 2. Week 3 was better, with six catches on 10 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown, but things crashed back down in Week 4 when he had two catches for 7 yards.<\/p>\n

The Eagles were 4-0, but Brown was in the worst stretch of production in his time with the Eagles. He posted a screenshot<\/a> of an image on social media that featured a Bible scripture reading: \u201cIf you\u2019re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don\u2019t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown downplayed the post<\/a> a few days later.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, you can use that verse for anything in life, you know, so, like I said, it\u2019s not directed at anyone,\u201d Brown said. \u201cObviously, I got a lot of stuff on my phone. I got a lot of memes on my phone. People know I\u2019m the meme king.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oct. 21, 2025: Another cryptic social media post<\/p>\n

Brown took to social media again a few weeks after the Bible verse to share his displeasure. The Eagles were again coming off a win, 28-22 over the Minnesota Vikings, thanks to an explosive performance from the offense. Brown had four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns for his first multi-touchdown game since Week 8 of the 2023 season.<\/p>\n

Brown shared a post on Instagram afterward, captioned, \u201cUsing me but not using me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nov. 11, 2025: Comments on a live stream<\/p>\n

The Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers 10-7 a few weeks later in a defensive struggle. Brown had two catches for 13 yards. The next day, Brown was playing Madden with his friend<\/a>, a streamer who goes by Janky Rondo, on the live-streaming platform Twitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything good?\u201d Rondo asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Brown said, chuckling. \u201cWhere have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re my dog,\u201d Rondo said with a laugh. \u201cLike, I still gotta check up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike family good, yeah,\u201d Brown continued, pausing between stints of laughter. \u201cEverything else, no. It\u2019s a s\u2013\u2013\u2013show. \u2018How you been?\u2019 I been struggling, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anyone watching the stream heard Brown blow off steam while playing as the Eagles.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you got me on fantasy, man, get rid of me,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

Nov. 12, 2025: Doubling down<\/p>\n

Brown was aware that the comments he made on the stream were in a public realm. The receiver doubled down on what he said when asked about them.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause after the game, I said all the right answers. Y\u2019all still made a story,\u201d Brown said.<\/a> \u201cIn that moment where I\u2019m just talking to my friend, having fun with my friend, I\u2019m not apologizing for that. Like I said, \u2019cause if you have eyes, you can see that. And so, like, it\u2019s not that I was throwing anybody on the bus. I\u2019m literally trying to laugh through this s\u2013\u2013\u2013. This s\u2013\u2013\u2013 is tough. But I\u2019m trying to make fun of the situation and to try to get through it. So, you know, it is what it is, man.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the conversation with Brown shifted to his frustrations with his role and the Eagles offense in general, he made his views abundantly clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just keep slapping a Band-Aid over that and you expect to win later in the year, and you think you\u2019re gonna go to it at the end of the year,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt\u2019s not gonna f\u2013\u2013\u2013ing happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Philadelphia<\/p>\n

\n A.J. Brown\u2019s final game with the Eagles ended with a wild-card round ouster in the playoffs in January. (Bill Streicher \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Jan. 11, 2026: Bitter ending<\/p>\n

Brown had three catches for 25 yards in his final game in an Eagles uniform, a wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Brown had several drops in the game, including a crucial one in the fourth quarter. He also had a heated exchange<\/a> in the first half of the game with head coach Nick Sirianni.<\/p>\n

Brown declined to speak to reporters after the game.<\/p>\n

June 1, 2026: Eagles trade away Brown<\/p>\n

In a move forecasted throughout the offseason, including when Philadelphia traded up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select wide receiver Makai Lemon, the Eagles waited until after the June 1 threshold<\/a> before trading Brown to the Patriots.<\/p>\n