What's in the water in Philly? The Eagles sit atop the NFC East and are the reigning Super Bowl champions. None of that matters to AJ Brown, who was mentioned as a popular (albeit farfetched) trade candidate just a few weeks ago. Brown stayed put, but that hasn't stopped him from voicing his displeasure about his role in the Eagles offense.
Only six teams have less passing yards than the Eagles this season. Philadelphia ranks middle of the pack in rushing despite featuring Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts in their backfield. The Eagles are 12th in the NFL in points-per-game, which isn't helping matters as they hope to round into form in the latter stages of the season. Maybe Brown is onto something here, and the latest rumblings out of the Eagles locker room paint an ugly picture.
Eagles players are reportedly fed up with Jalen Hurts
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Brown is not alone in his frustration with Hurts and the passing game. While Hurts is a former MVP and has a Super Bowl to his name, he hasn't been the same player this season, seemingly misreading zone defenses on a regular basis.
“After doing some digging and asking people inside the Eagles building, it was explained that multiple offensive players have grown frustrated with Jalen Hurts’ approach this season, particularly against zone coverage. They believe he’s become hesitant in tight windows, leaning on checkdowns or scrambles instead of trusting what’s open downfield," Russini wrote.
It's rare to see a team as successful as the Eagles are dealing with this sort of inner turmoil. More specifically, it's rare that this sort of drama is leaked to the media, especially for an organization like Philadelphia, which is fresh off defeating the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX and, again, among the favorites to win the NFC once again.
Did AJ Brown have a point about the Eagles offense?
Brown has vowed to keep his frustration with the Eagles offense off social media, per a report on Sunday, but it still exists. Heck, just this past week Brown voiced his displeasure while playing Madden on a Twitch stream.
“I’m telling you, bro, that’s the only highlight of the damn football I’ve been living right now,”Brown said after showing his Madden avatar’s stat line of 168 yards and two touchdowns on nine grabs
Brown's also been rather cryptic on social media, as star wide receivers can be, about his relationship with Hurts and the Eagles inability to get him the ball downfield. Brown has just over 400 receiving yards so far this season, which puts him on pace to finish with under 800 total. That would be his lowest total since 2021 in Arthur Smith's run-centric Tennessee Titans offense.
Again, what matters is that the Eagles are winning. Their defense has carried the load so far this season, but at some point Philly's offense will be asked to play up to their potential, and it just hasn't happened yet. That starts and ends with Hurts, who must adjust to how opposing defenses are playing him. For now, that seems like a heavy dose of zone blitz schemes, which forces Hurts into his second and third reads, and doesn't offer him the same running lanes he's used to.
It's not unheard of for players of Hurts' stature to have a down year or two at this point in their careers. How he adjusts will determine whether the Eagles can continue to win with him long term. They've certainly provided him with the weapons to do so.
Targeting a big-play threat like Brown more – especially late in the game, when Hurts has failed to do so – will only help this offense grow.