Nine months ago, they were celebrating a Super Bowl win. In recent days, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and receiver A.J. Brown got together for different reasons.
Sal Paolantonio of ESPN.com reports that Lurie and Brown met this week “to hash out the star wide receiver’s public frustration over his role in Philadelphia’s offense.”
The meeting, which was first mentioned on Thursday by John Clark of NBC 10 in Philadelphia, was coordinated by jack-of-all-trades Dom DiSandro and lasted 10 minutes. As Paolantonio explains it, Brown promised Lurie to stop complaining on social media. Brown nevertheless told Lurie that he “just wants to be a part of the offense and is frustrated.”
Brown’s deeper message is that the offense isn’t doing enough to improve, and that winning games despite not moving the ball effectively is a mere “Band-Aid.” His comments during a midweek press availability made it clear that he believes winning isn’t good enough if the offense isn’t getting better. Which seemed to be a direct refutation of quarterback Jalen Hurts’s comments after Monday night’s 10-7 win at Green Bay, which featured an offensive performance that lacked flow or consistency or identity.
That’s the relationship, or lack of one, that seems to be residing at the heart of Brown not getting the ball more often. Receiver and quarterback, not truly on the same page. Whether the reasons are professional or personal or some of both, until Hurts starts getting the ball more often to Brown when Brown is facing single coverage, the situation will linger.
And Brown’s promise to the owner will be tested in those quiet moments when Brown’s frustrations float toward the surface.
