The Philadelphia Eagles were surrounded by controversy during the 2025 NFL season. A.J. Brown repeatedly complained about Philly's offense throughout the regular season. It became clear that the relationship between Brown and QB Jalen Hurts may not be something the team can fix.
New reporting from ESPN's Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler sheds light on how Hurts and Brown's relationship fell apart.
There were never any huge arguments between the two players. Some sources suggested that lack of communication could be at the heart of the problem.
“Multiple team sources say they never saw Brown and Hurts engaged in an argument during the season and were professional throughout the season,” McManus and Fowler wrote. “But both also tend to internalize issues, which leads to a lack of communication, sources said. ‘Clearing the air probably doesn't happen as often as it should,' a source said.”
Hurts and Brown were once very close friends. Unfortunately, the first signs of damage to their relationship popped up late in the 2024 season. The situation only appears to have gotten worse since then.
One source explained that being friends and being teammates are two completely different things. That is especially important for NFL stars who have differing opinions on how to move their team forward.
“You might want to win, but your way might be different than mine,” the source said. “[Your stars] have to be on the same page and I don't think they always were.”
Brown has been the subject of multiple trade rumors throughout the 2026 offseason. The Patriots even appear to be the frontrunner to land Brown in a trade. No trade has happened yet, but insiders suggested a trade may need to wait until June for salary cap purposes.
At this point, Brown's potential divorce from the Eagles feels like an inevitability.
