The trade of A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles had to happen. The underlying issues that forced this move had been boiling under the surface for almost two years.

Now, after the trade, Brown himself agreed that he and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts are not as close as they were before. This is a reason many pointed to for Brown's fallout, and former NFL player Jason Kelce also hinted at the same thing.

“How does a relationship like this start to falter? It's because you don't have success on the field. You stop executing as a team. You stop executing as players,” highlighted Jason Kelce during a conversation with his brother, Travis Kelce, on the New Heights podcast.

Last season, multiple reports suggested that Brown complained about not being targeted enough by Hurts. A problem he has had since the 2024 season, when he was targeted just 97 times.

Compare that to the 2023 season, when Hurts targeted him 158 times, and those numbers start showing the frustration that was building gradually.

Jason argued that the Eagles never had an A.J. Brown problem. Instead, he pointed to the team's deteriorating chemistry, claiming it eventually seeped into their on-field performance as the offense unraveled.

“The Eagles' offense had continued to decline as a passing game. The run game stalled out last year with injuries and other things happening. So, execution fuels emotion. When you're not performing, this is the reality of the league,” Jason added.

While the Philadelphia Eagles were first in the NFC East, analysts and critics called out the team for its 11–6 record, citing its vanilla offensive scheme as the root problem.

Finally, Brown was traded to the New England Patriots, and the team locked down some additional draft capital. That said, DeVonta Smith's card also played an important role in the trade.

Jalen Hurts-DeVonta Smith Connection Helped Ease A.J. Brown Trade

With A.J. Brown out of the picture, the spotlight in Philadelphia shifts towards DeVonta Smith.

The star receiver has already established himself as the league’s one of the league's most reliable playmakers, and now, his role is all set to grow at a much larger pace within the Eagles’ offense.

When asked how he felt about the A.J. Brown situation, Smith expressed that he was not worried at all. In fact, he was excited about playing alongside Hurts.

“I’ve been knowing Jalen since high school, so it’s only getting better,” Smith said of their relationship, which began during Alabama’s recruitment of Smith, per The Athletic. “I think we both fairly know each other well — to know how to approach each other and certain things and things like that. And to be able to just have that understanding that when things (are) not going right, we’re gonna look at each other first.”

For Jalen Hurts, Smith’s emergence as the unquestioned WR1 could be crucial. Their long-standing chemistry and the presence of Saquon Barkley will be key as the team looks to keep its offense as strong as ever.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore