In the months leading up to the Eagles' decision to trade A.J. Brown to the Patriots, much of the talk focused on his alleged deteriorating relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts, with most of the blame placed on the wide receiver.
It prompted many Philadelphia fans looking forward to his departure, as they felt he was a problem for the offense and the locker room, particularly since he apparently couldn't get along with Hurts, and that is a conversation that has lingered since he joined the Patriots in June.
There was a lot of speculation about whether Brown would bring that kind of attitude to Foxboro, since rumors suggested his issue with his former quarterback stemmed from a lack of targets, and because Maye is a young player, that could happen there, too.
Not to mention, the Patriots are known for passing the ball around, especially in a Josh McDaniels system, which could already lead to issues with Brown.
From what we saw between Brown and Maye this summer, there was no indication of any problems between them. Eagles fans warned it was just the calm before the storm and that he would eventually make a fuss about targets, but given his injury, we haven't seen that yet.
Instead, we have seen what appears to be a widening rift between his former teammates Jalen Hurts, and his new No. 1 receiver, DeVonta Smith.
DeVonta Smith's demeanor in Eagles' latest loss seems to validate A.J. Brown
During their brutal loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football this week, the cameras panned to the Eagles sideline and caught a noticeably awkward moment on TV.
Smith appeared frustrated and detached from the game, particularly from his quarterback, whom he didn't seem particularly interested in speaking to.
It immediately caught the attention of those who saw the noise around Brown as a problem for his former team, since it now seems Smith isn't thrilled with Hurts either.
Devonta Smith finally understands AJ Brown pic.twitter.com/Yu5lArPIys
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 29, 2026
Maybe we are overanalyzing a brief moment in a game where the Eagles' frustration was clear. This moment with Hurts and Smith came just after the quarterback threw his second interception of the game, allowing the Bears to score a touchdown and seal the win.
Or there's a chance that Smith's body language, in particular, is exactly how it's perceived, and that there were more issues in Philadelphia than anyone wanted to talk about, so they instead put the blame on Brown on his way out.
We won't really know the truth until either things for the Eagles get worse or someone reveals what was going on behind the scenes.
Regardless, this paints a very different picture of what Brown was leaving and why he wanted out of the Eagles. Things aren't looking so peachy in his absence, as many fans suggested, and if the vibes are bad now, they could get worse.
That's something Brown could certainly revel in, given the scrutiny he faced before and after his trade. Or he could be so far beyond feeling petty that he won't feel much fulfillment from seemingly being proven right.
No matter what, he can help the struggling Patriots when he's able to return, which is as soon as Week 6, and that is all that matters in New England, after all.
Add us as a preferred source on Google