Coming off their Super Bowl victory, the Philadelphia Eagles managed to kick off the 2025 season in the win column. Although they walked out with a 24-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, one former player had a key piece of criticism.
In the offseason, the Eagles had a void to fill within their coaching staff. After Kellen Moore departed to become head coach of the New Orleans Saints, the organization named Kevin Patullo as the new offensive coordinator.
Patullo's first game calling plays worked out well for him, as the Eagles put together multiple scoring drives en route to beating the Cowboys. However, there is one key area of emphasis when it comes to improving moving forward.
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Chad Johnson sounds off on AJ Brown not being targeted enough vs. Cowboys
When it comes to the Eagles' offense, their high-level duo of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith is one of the major components. While Philadelphia was able to come away victorious, the former had close to no involvement on the field.
Brown went nearly the whole game without Hurts getting him the ball, ending the evening with just one target for eight yards. Jahan Dotson wound up being the Eagles' leading receiver Thursday, totaling 59 yards.
During Friday's episode of their Nightcap podcast, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson gave their thoughts on the NFL's season opener. The latter added to the discourse around Brown, imploring the Eagles to get him more involved in the offense.
"How do you go into a game in Week 1 and you pay AJ Brown what $28 million? $33 million and he doesn't have a target," Johnson said. "How is he not part of the game plan. I understand the Eagles have a way of doing things, but how do you not get your No. 1 target, your No. 1 receiver involved into the game early."
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At the end of the day, it just wasn't a game for the Eagles' receiver duo. Smith had a quiet night as well, racking up just 16 yards on three receptions. The offense was able to pick apart the Cowboys' defense on the ground, with Hurts and Barkley rushing for all three of the team's touchdowns.
Given his consistent production since arriving in Philadelphia, Brown is going to have weeks where he is the driving force in the Eagles' success. That said, it's fair for Johnson to call out the staff for not getting him involved more and giving him a chance to impact the matchup.
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