Former Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco had a lot to say regarding the ridicule Philadelphia Eagles wideout AJ Brown has been taking for his slow start to the season.
Brown has just 14 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown as Eagles fans and the national media alike has been attacking Philadelphia for its misuse of the star receiver. Brown had two receptions on nine targets for seven yards in Philadelphia's latest 31-25 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Even if the Eagles sit at 4-0 to start the season, this has been a hard start to the season for Brown. Ochocinco shared some empathy for him on his podcast on Monday.
“Do you understand what that does to players mentally?” Ochocinco said on his Nightcap Show with Shannon Sharpe.
“I don't think fans understand. Yes, they won the game. But players want to contribute and help to win those said games.. He's been telling us this for years now; last year, he was reading his book. You're paying me $33 million; not only am I the No. 1 wide receiver, but I am the captain of the team for a reason. Allow me to be part of the offense.”
Brown has been accustomed to putting up much bigger numbers than this throughout his career.
The three-time Pro Bowler put up 1,079 yards and seven receptions on 67 receptions in the 2024 season before helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl. He had over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons in Philadelphia, reaching the milestone in five of the first six seasons of his career.
Brown was given a Pro Bowl nod in his first two seasons with the Eagles. He had 1,496 receiving yards with 11 touchdowns on 88 receptions in his first year in Philly in 2022. He followed that up with 1,456 yards with seven touchdowns on 106 receptions in 2023.
