A.J. Brown thinks the Eagles are 'close' on offense, laughs off talk about his declining skills

Jeff Neiburg, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Nov 20, 2025

Published in Football

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PHILADELPHIA — There is a thought process out there in the ether that A.J. Brown at 28 is not the same player he was just last year or the season prior, when he had 106 catches and 1,456 yards.

What would he say to those who believe that?

“I guess Saquon ain’t the same player either then,” Brown responded Thursday with a laugh. “All right. But I don’t got no comment about that. I don’t care about that.”

The Eagles’ star receiver has made it clear in recent weeks — and recent seasons — what he cares about. He wants to win, and the Eagles have done a lot of winning, but he wants to be a bigger part of the victories. He’s on pace to come up shy of his 2024 numbers in both catches and yards, and he played just 13 games last season.

After the latest chapter in his saga with the Eagles last week, when he aired his frustrations playfully on a live stream, Brown saw 11 targets Sunday night against Detroit, his most action of 2025. He caught seven passes for 49 yards. He has been held under 50 yards six times this season. In the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined, he had just seven such games.

The 8-2 Eagles have continued to find ways to win even as their offense has sputtered. Getting the passing game back on track should be a little bit easier Sunday in Dallas against a team that is one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. But the Cowboys have improved, and they play a lot of zone coverage — the seventh-highest zone rate in the NFL — which has given the Eagles fits.

“It’s something we’re continuing to work at each and every day, trying to be on the same page and be where we need to be at the right time,” Brown said Thursday when asked if the Eagles were closer to finding answers against the zone.

Could more crossing routes, which Brown is running fewer of this season, be an answer to zone? And why isn’t he running more of them?

“Yes, I think so,” Brown said. “I think it’s really a time and spacing thing. I think the second half of that question is a question for [offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo].

Overall, as an offense, Brown said the Eagles were “close” to finding their footing.

“I think we are,” he said. “I think that’s the mindset to have. I think it’s really just cleaning up those mistakes. It’s not about being close it’s really just finishing drives.”

The latest drama surrounding the Eagles emerged when The Athletic reported over the weekend that “multiple offensive players have grown frustrated with Jalen Hurts’ approach this season.”

Asked about that report Thursday, Brown replied: “Ask me about Dallas. Thank you.”

Brown was later asked if he watches what other receivers are doing. Dallas’ passing game has flourished, and George Pickens is second in the NFL with 908 yards. CeeDee Lamb has played in just seven games to Brown’s nine, but Lamb has 557 yards to Brown’s 457.

Brown said he doesn’t pay attention.

Why?

“It gets me upset,” he said. “So I stay away from it.”

It was clarified to him that the question was more from a skill set perspective, as in what makes Lamb, for example, so good?

“No, the only person I’m really watching is Julio Jones,” Brown said.

Brown has long talked about Jones being his favorite receiver, and the two played together in Tennessee and with the Eagles. The two still talk often, Brown said, though he declined to share what those conversations have been about recently.

You can probably guess.