The Philadelphia Eagles and A.J. Brown are 7-2, have essentially already won their division, and are the NFC’s one seed. Not everything is as good as it seems, though. Ever since the first snap of the season, something has clearly been off with Brown. The superstar wide receiver has not been a regular part of the offense, with little explanation as to why. What is going on between the Eagles and their All-Pro, and can they fix it?
A.J. Brown is upset with the Philadelphia Eagles, and rightfully so
Not Involved Offensively
In the Eagles’ Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Brown finished the game with only one target. His first target of the game came with 1:45 remaining in the game. Brown caught it for eight yards, his only reception of the day. While it was very strange for him not to be heavily involved, the Eagles wrote it off as a mirage. Head Coach Nick Sirianni credited the Cowboys for taking him out of the game, while crediting Brown for stepping up in a big moment.
In Week 2, Brown was more involved in a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, although something still felt off. Brown finished with five catches on eight targets for 27 yards. All of his receptions came on short, underneath routes, with Brown finishing the game averaging 5.4 yards per reception. For such a dynamic, big-play threat, it is unacceptable that he hasn’t had opportunities downfield to generate big plays. This offensive approach has been common throughout the year, with only a couple of outliers allowing Brown to be the explosive player he is.
Conservative Offense
One of the main reasons for Brown’s lack of impact on the offense has been the team’s increased risk aversion. Jalen Hurts has always been a quarterback who prioritizes protecting the football, but it has reached a new level this season. This has limited the Eagles’ opportunities for explosive plays downfield, with Brown feeling the brunt of that. Whether it is a philosophy coming from Hurts, Sirianni, or Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo, it is undeniable in its effect.
The main thing that supports this is the Eagles’ lack of aggression on third down. With one of, if not the best, receiving duos in the league, an excellent quarterback, an elite running back, an excellent tight end, and a solid offensive line, one would think the Eagles would be aggressive on third down, even if they are behind the chains. That has not been the case, and has never been more apparent than in their win against the Green Bay Packers.
Through the first three quarters of that game, the Eagles faced six different 3rd and 8+ opportunities. The results of those plays? Two runs from Hurts, two handoffs to Will Shipley, and two check-downs to Shipley, none of which resulted in a first down. The Eagles faced this opportunity in the fourth quarter, with a 3rd and 12 from their own 26-yard line. They finally trusted their stars, letting Hurts drop back and push the ball downfield. The result was a 16-yard gain to DeVonta Smith, resulting in a first down. The Eagles need to be more aggressive in their approach, as time and time again it has yielded better results.
Consistently Conservative
This isn’t new for the Eagles, as there was proof of this philosophy last year. After the Eagles’ dominant performance in the NFC Championship game, Hurts offered some interesting comments:
#Eagles QB Jalen Hurts on HC Nick Sirianni: “I think he finally let me out of my straight jacket”
Asked later to clarify, Hurts passed, but seemed he was referencing offensive constraints on him since the bye week. pic.twitter.com/EwPdFZegkx
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 27, 2025
Hurts, implying that the coaches had been keeping him in a “straitjacket”, finally giving him some freedom to make big plays, is what everyone has been asking for. The offense in that game was one of their best all-around performances of the 2024 season.
This has been vocalized by the players this year as well, specifically Brown. In the Eagles’ Week 3 comeback over the Los Angeles Rams, the offense started out slow, conservative, and predictable. The Eagles fell into a 19-point hole and had no choice but to be aggressive. That led to one of the best performances from the passing game this season. It also led to Brown having a breakout game. He finished with six catches, 109 yards, and a touchdown. He was making catches down the field and consistently breaking off yards after the catch. It was the first time we had seen the A.J. Brown that everyone knows and loves in the 2025 season. After the game, though, he had some interesting comments about the offensive approach.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown: "Me personally, I truly believe we've got so many good players on this team and at times you can feel like we're being conservative and I don't think it should be like that…Let your killers do their thing and play fast and play aggressive. Not saying that… pic.twitter.com/1qhcO4xQ2A
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) September 21, 2025
It is clear there is a disconnect between the coaches and players on how aggressive the Eagles’ offense should be. They seem to play it safe while only relying on their stars to bail them out in a big spot. In Week 7, the Eagles needed to rely on the passing game to carry them to a victory. Brown had a monster day, finishing with four catches, 121 yards, and two touchdowns. After the game, though, in the words of Brown, he stated the coaches are “Using me but not using me.”
Eagles WR AJ Brown on Instagram:
“Using me but not using me.” pic.twitter.com/wDksevYUJa
— SleeperEagles (@SleeperEagles) October 21, 2025
Poor Offensive Performance
The Eagles’ offense has also just been underperforming this year. Despite having the most expensive offense in the league, they are not in the top ten in points or yards. While there are a multitude of factors that play into this, it is clearly highly correlated with their All-Pro wide receiver not being as involved as he should be.
Brown had two receptions on the Eagles’ first drive against Green Bay. Despite not scoring a touchdown until the middle of the fourth quarter, Brown did not see another target until the final offensive play of the game. Why don’t the Eagles look to their superstar wide receiver when the offense is struggling? Who knows. While this wouldn’t solve all of their problems, it would certainly help. This has not been a situation where there a rare struggles, either. It has been a consistently bad offense, making the type of history that teams never want to make.
#Eagles are still going 3 & out more often than any offense in the NFL since 2014…and somehow getting away with it. pic.twitter.com/oTXo2uwroo
— Deniz Selman (@denizselman33) November 12, 2025
Brown Isn’t Without Blame
Given all the issues with the Philadelphia Eagles offensively, Brown is also not without blame. Some of the methods he has used to voice his frustrations could have undoubtedly been handled better. This has caused distractions for the Eagles to deal with as they try to stay focused on the main goal. For example, Brown complaining about the offense over a Twitch livestream of himself playing Madden is something that is almost unbelievable.
AJ Brown was asked “Everything good?” on JankyRondo’s stream tonight: “No. Where have you been?.. Family’s good. Everything else? No.. It’s a shit-show.. *Laughs* You on some ‘How you been?,’ Struggling brother.”
( via @JankyRondo ) pic.twitter.com/KIu5KLGL0O
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) November 12, 2025
Is Brown justified in being frustrated? Absolutely. Has he also handled this poorly? Yes.
Going straight to Sirianni, Patullo, Hurts, or anyone involved with the Eagles’ offense would be a better way of handling this. Having all of the conversations behind closed doors would help limit the distractions and keep the team focused on their upcoming matchup. Instead, Sirianni and Hurts answered questions about it this week, clearly becoming frustrated with the topic.
Nick Sirianni on A.J. Brown's latest comments: "Yeah, guys, I'm close to being done answering these questions with this. He's working hard and he is a big part of this game plan and will be a big part of the game plan going forward. And, he's working like crazy when he's here and… pic.twitter.com/AF6tz6CvSG
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) November 12, 2025
Jalen Hurts about AJ Brown "continuing to voice frustrations after wins": "We got the Detroit Lions. Imma definitely put a halt to that. I think the more we drive that, the more of a distraction it becomes, ultimately its about the group. Things have been what they've been and… pic.twitter.com/igCT9eqx0x
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) November 12, 2025
All in all, everyone involved could be doing a better job of getting Brown more involved while improving the offense. The coaches, Hurts, and Brown himself all have a hand in this. It is up to the coaches, though, to figure this out to limit distractions, get the Eagles offense on track, and get the ball in Brown’s hands.
Brown stuck with the Eagles past the trade deadline, so he is here to stay. After the season is over, the Eagles and Brown can re-evaluate whether they want to stick together long term. Until then, it’s up to everyone involved to find a way to get this working again. The team plays perhaps its most important matchup of the season on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. A bounce-back performance will be necessary to secure a victory, and it can’t be done without the Philadelphia Eagles looking to A.J. Brown.
Main Image: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images