Long before the Patriots inevitably traded for A.J. Brown, rumors ran rampant about his deteriorating relationship with the Eagles, particularly quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the receiver was painted as somewhat of a villain in the team's locker room.
Many Philadelphia fans eagerly wanted Brown traded, believing he was one of the team's biggest problems and that, based on attitude alone, the offense would thrive without him.
The problem is that it was clear it wasn't going to happen in the practices that followed his trade to the Patriots, as Hurts strung together some poorly executed days in the summer. Unfortunately, that has continued into the regular season, with the Eagles entering their Week 5 matchup against the Jaguars at 2-2.
Their last loss to the Rams was particularly brutal for the offense, with Hurts completing just 12/27 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, and Darius Cooper leading the team's receivers with just 3 catches for 33 yards.
As if that wasn't bad enough, their team looks to be falling apart well before mid-season, and it's fair to say Brown couldn't be happier he got out of Philly when he did, even if he's spent the last four weeks on injured reserve.
A.J. Brown gets another sign that wanting off the Eagles was the right move
Because he put together the best seasons of his career with the Eagles, after the Titans unexpectedly traded him without head coach Mike Vrabel's consent, there was debate about whether it would be a good idea for the front office to move Brown even after his trade request, because he had become an integral part of their offensive success.
He had become Hurts' No. 1 receiver, forming a solid duo with DeVonta Smith, but things began to fall apart over the past year, fueling ongoing rumors of behind-the-scenes roster issues.
Brown became the scapegoat for the problems, and Eagles fans and even former players suggested that trading him to the Patriots would solve much of what was going on in the locker room.
But since then, the Eagles have struggled, especially their offense, and just this past week, they announced that Lane Johnson, their future Hall of Fame right tackle, was retiring, which is a huge loss for the team.
On top of that, they traded their center, Cam Jurgens, on Wednesday morning, another sign they might already be waving the white flag on the 2026 season well before it's over.
Given the struggles their offense has already faced, losing one pillar of the offensive line is bad enough. Following that up with a trade for another lineman for just future draft picks doesn't make much sense. If they had received a player in return, maybe it would be more understandable.
Instead, they'll hold onto future picks that do nothing for their current team.
Things have already started to look sour with the team, with an image from the Eagles' loss to the Bears going viral and showing Smith seemingly unhappy with Hurts on the bench. Surely, it just proves that Brown wasn't the only, at least not the main, issue with the Eagles right now, and it's only fair to assume he couldn't be happier to see that he's being proven right.
If thigns continue to spiral, it will only make him look even better, while the Patriots get the benefit of having a clear No. 1 receiver on their team for Drake Maye.
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