Much has been made about potential off-the-field rifts between Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, and there may be some truth within that picture.
The reality, though, is that Brown likely wouldn't have had any problems with Hurts if the Philadelphia Eagles' QB had put Brown in the best positions to succeed while they were on the field.
In the end, that didn't happen enough for Brown's liking, and so he expressed plenty of displeasure, and that eventually got him traded from the Eagles to the New England Patriots a week ago.
The Pats sent the Eagles a first-round pick, and Philly moves on from a wideout who had surpassed 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons in Philadelphia.
From a football perspective, it may not be a perfect move for the Eagles, but they had to do something at this point.
A new ESPN article on Monday, written by multiple insiders, reveals the football-specific issue Brown had with Hurts:
"A good bit of his angst stemmed from the play of Hurts, league sources said, in part because of Hurts' perceived reluctance to target Brown on tight-window throws against zone coverage."
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There were definitely moments throughout the 2025 season when Hurts simply stopped targeting his wideouts. Opponents would drop into a zone, and Hurts wouldn't even consider throwing to Brown.
Of all receivers in football, Brown seems like one of the guys you'd most want to throw the football to -- he's strong and tall and fast.
Hurts would go long stretches seeming as if he forgot that.
"The Eagles didn't want a situation in which it felt like they weren't in it together, knowing they've been at their best when team chemistry is right," ESPN's insiders wrote. "Through conversations between Brown and management, it became apparent early in the offseason that Brown wanted out of Philly, believing it was best for the next stage of his career."
The Eagles have added other receivers, although none can directly replace Brown.
The Patriots get a player who will likely be happy to have Drake Maye throwing him the football.
In the end, Hurts hadn't given Brown the QB play he wanted, and amid whatever other bad vibes there may have been, that wasn't something Brown wanted to continue dealing with.
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