A.J. Brown’s cryptic social media post and vocal frustrations with how the Eagles’ offense is performing has welcomed speculation and scrutiny from across the NFL community.
But Eagles legend Brandon Graham doesn’t mind that at all.
Graham, the retired two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive end, made his opinions known on Brown’s frustrations when he appeared on NFL Network on Friday morning.
“I love the chaos,” Graham said. “We had chaos last year, and we still won it all. It’s about addressing those elephants in the room, and those guys are doing that.”
Graham called this week “a great test” for the Eagles, who have dealt with the internal and external discussions around Brown while preparing for a tough Denver Broncos team.
The Eagles are 4-0 with wins over the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams and Buccaneers — three playoff teams from last year and an NFC East rival. But the offense has looked out of sorts under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo, and no one has felt the effects more than Brown.
The Eagles’ three-time All-Pro wide receiver has only 14 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown through four weeks. More importantly, Brown’s reception rate (50% on 28 targets) is near the bottom of the league. Something has to change moving forward.
So, Brown spoke out. He posted a cryptic message on social media that stated to “quietly withdraw” if “you’re not welcomed, not listened to” — a post he later took “full accountability” for. But Brown didn’t apologize for wanting his role to expand and the offense to improve.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to want the ball,” Brown said Wednesday. “It’s not just for targets or putting numbers up. I see that we’re struggling, and I’m a guy that wants the ball in those times. When we can’t find a way, give it to me. ... I want that pressure.”
Graham, who spent his entire 15-year career with the Eagles, understands why Brown is frustrated and believes he, Patullo and Jalen Hurts will right the ship.
“It’s frustrating for him because, of course, I want you to be in the Hall of Fame. I want him to have all those different accolades,” Graham said. “Because man, when you see him, when you see him in person, you see him in practice every day, you know what he can do. And Jalen knows what he can do. Everybody knows what he can do.
“It’s all about us getting on the same page, making sure that we’re not letting the outside noise be too loud in the building. It’s more about what we do and the togetherness that you have to have. With all this other stuff that’s going on, we’ve got to quiet the noise by just doing our job and just focusing on what we can control. And that’s making sure we’re on the same page. ... Everybody has to do their job. And moving forward, I know that they’re going to do it.”
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