PHILADELPHIA — The question — “Is this the place you want to be?” — was an obvious one and, at least in the minds of the Eagles’ two star receivers, the answer — phrased in the form of a question — was just as obvious.
“Have I said anything (about not being here)?” A.J. Brown said Thursday after both he and the Eagles returned to the practice field in South Philadelphia.
Brown’s next-door-neighbor in the locker room felt the need to chime in on the matter.
“Why wouldn’t he be here?” DeVonta Smith asked.
That had been the prevailing opinion throughout the last month as the trade deadline neared, but pockets of doubt were created by stories suggesting general manager Howie Roseman might move his star receiver for the right hefty price.
Those stories were likely fueled by the frequent Brown social media postings that suggested he was less than happy with how often the ball was coming in his direction.
The most recent one came after the Eagles beat Minnesota and he had his best game of the year, catching four passes for a season-high 121 yards and two touchdowns. Brown did not speak to reporters after the game and then didn’t speak to reporters ahead of the Eagles’ Week 8 game against the Giants because he was dealing with a hamstring injury.
He did, however, post this on social media: “Using me but not using me.”
If that’s how he felt after his best game of the year, it was fair to wonder if he could ever find happiness in the City of Brotherly Love. Asked about it, Brown said “I’m not getting into all that. I’m just going to focus on this week.”
We did learn during his absence that Brown remains wanted in the locker room and by his general manager.
“I think that when you’re trying to be a great team, it’s hard to trade great players and A.J. Brown’s a great player,” Roseman said. “He wears the ‘C’ for a reason. He’s an important part of this team, of this organization. He cares about winning, he cares about his teammates, and I think that when you’re a team like ours that is looking forward to an opportunity to compete for a championship, you just don’t get rid of guys like that. We feel very lucky to have him on our team and excited about the second half of the season with him.”
Jalen Hurts also was asked about Brown.
“It was definitely good to see him back healthy,” the Eagles quarterback said. “That was something we were all thinking about and we just gave him some time to get healthy again and so we’re excited for the next opportunity.”
That will come against the Packers on Monday night.
“I’m playing,” Brown said. “I’m good to go.”
Brown said he suffered the hamstring injury on his fourth and final catch against the Vikings, a 45-yarder that allowed the Eagles to run out the clock.
“It happened on that last play when I slowed down against (cornerback) Isaiah (Rodgers) and then I got up slow,” Brown said. “I kind of knew, but I ran through it so I knew it wasn’t that bad. It was just scar tissue. Like I said, I’m ready to go and we have a good opponent in Green Bay.”
Brown said he was unmoved by the chatter that he might be traded at the deadline because he wasn’t aware of it.
“I was out in the front and out in the back of my yard playing football with my son (during the bye week),” Brown said. “That’s it. My focus was on my family and my kids and getting healthy. It’s not that I was surprised (by trade rumors). I didn’t know. It’s the nature of the business.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.