The season opener is around the corner for AJ Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Soon, the Super Bowl champions will be hosting the Dallas Cowboys, where they hope to pick up where they left off. Will AJ Brown be in the mix with the team at the start of the regular season? That will be one of the biggest question marks going into the game.
Lately, Brown has been dealing with a hamstring injury. He's been in and out of the Eagles' practice sessions this summer. This week, Brown has been sidelined as the Eagles prepare for their final outing of the preseason.
The chances of Brown playing in the Eagles' matchup against the New York Jets seemed low with or without the setback. The fact that he hasn't been suited up is pretty telling about his status.
As far as Week 1 goes, the NFL Insider Mike Garafolo expressed confidence in Brown's availability for that matchup against the Cowboys.
"I'm gonna say yes!" Garafolo said, predicting whether Brown would play or not. "Barring some setback, we've been telling you that there hasn't been a great concern about his status for Week 1. It's just making sure that they're not going to suffer some kind of setback."
The Eagles seem to be taking it easy with Brown for obvious reasons. Being that the star wide receiver is among the best at his position, he's critical to the Eagles' offensive success. Since he's a proven All-Pro, the Eagles don't need to see much out of Brown in training camp. Their best bet is to keep him off the field if he's not one-hundred percent for now.
Brown landed on the Eagles following his 2021 run with the Tennessee Titans. He appeared in 13 games, catching 63 passes for 869 yards and five touchdowns during his final run with the Titans.
Once Brown got to the Eagles, he instantly had a career year. In 2022, Brown caught 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in 17 games. During the 2023 NFL season, Brown followed up with 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games.
Last season, the Eagles' passing game took a bit of a hit. Struggles and a heavy dose of Saquon Barkley nearly prevented Brown from missing the 1K mark for just the second time in his career. However, he got it in 13 games. With 67 catches, Brown totaled 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns.
Being in his prime, Brown remains a critical piece for the Eagles. The team hopes to have him on board for their first game of the season.
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