Philadelphia Eagles star AJ Brown still doesn't like how the Tennessee Titans handled the end of his tenure there. Don't believe me? Look no further than Brown's message to former Titans- and now Eagles- teammate Kevin Byard, who Philadelphia just acquired in a trade with Tennessee.
Brown, who was also traded from the Titans to the Eagles, told Byard that “things are done differently around here” in a welcoming message to the veteran safety, per Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Did AJ Brown take dig at Titans in Byard message?
“I told him, ‘You're a winner now. Things are done different around here. But enjoy it and just get up to speed. He's a great player. He won't have no trouble to adapt.”
Brown told Byard he's “a winner now”, which certainly could be taken as a shot at the Titans, though it's more so a compliment to the Eagles and their recent success.
But the Eagles star's next comment reeks of a shot at the Titans, as he told Byard, who was initially blindsided by the new Tennessee regime's request for him to take a pay cut back in the spring, that Philadelphia conducts its business differently.
Brown isn't saying the quiet part out loud. But he certainly has reason to still feel animosity towards the Titans, even if general manager Jon Robinson, who was in the front office during Brown's tenure there, is no longer with the team.
Why was AJ Brown unhappy with the Titans?
Brown, who was drafted by the Titans in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, enjoyed a prosperous first several years in Tennessee, eclipsing the 1000-yard mark in each of his first two seasons.
Brown, who desired a contract extension that paid him what he felt he was worth, was seemingly far apart from the Titans in negotiations.
Details on just how far apart came to light in an Instagram Live video with Brown and San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel that went viral back in April of 2022.
Samuel can be heard saying that the Titans offered Brown $20 million per year but that he wanted more than that.
Then- Titans GM Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear that they wanted Brown to remain in Tennessee- and the former made it clear he wouldn't be traded.
But Brown was dealt to the Eagles on draft night shortly after.
Brown later told ESPN that the trade was “not his fault”, but the Titans' side of things seemed to leak into the media, as reports indicated that Brown wanted a trade and had cut off communications with Tennessee before it happened.
Brown, speaking to reporters at Eagles training camp in August of 2022, said there was no “bad blood” with the Titans but indicated that they were “pointing fingers” at him.
In a February 2023 appearance on The Raw Room podcast, Brown explained the Titans' “disrespect”, saying they offered him $16 million with incentives up to $20 million.
Brown signed a deal with the Eagles worth $25 million per year after the draft night trade.
The Eagles star's revenge against the Titans
Brown got sweet revenge against Tennessee during the 2022 season, as he caught eight passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns against his former team in December of 2022.
Robinson was then fired just two days after the game. So, Brown may not necessarily feel bad blood towards the Titans, but he'll also likely never feel good about how the situation played out.
Fortunately, those days are behind him now, and he and Byard, an All-Pro safety, can help the Eagles get over the mountaintop in 2023 after reaching the Super Bowl in 2022.
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