The Philadelphia Eagles are undefeated and currently the best team in the NFL. However, that doesn’t mean everything is going smoothly in the locker room. The offense is led by Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, which has resulted in fewer opportunities for the wide receivers. Star WR A.J. Brown is clearly not happy about it.
“A.J. Brown cleared the air on Wednesday and took accountability for how his frustrations boiled over in a cryptic social media post after Sunday's game. The numbers speak for themselves. A.J. Brown is tied for 66th in the NFL in receiving yards (151) with JuJu Smith-Schuster (he's cooked) and rookie Elic Ayomanor (he's on the worst offense in football). OK, that's discouraging, but not terrible. Well, just wait. Most of those yards (109 of 151) came in the second half of Week 3. Meaning he's been a ghost for pretty much the entire season,” CBS Sports’ Douglas Clawson wrote.
Part of the issue is that Jalen Hurts hasn’t been throwing deep or pushing the ball downfield like he has in past seasons.
“That part falls at least partially falls on Hurts, who has been fantastic at generating offense with his legs this season (179 rushing yards, four touchdowns on the ground) and limiting turnovers (no interceptions) but hasn't pushed the ball down the field as much as in seasons past,” Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp wrote.
Now, both A.J. Brown and WR DeVonta Smith appear to be sending a message to their quarterback.
“A.J. Brown 𝙖𝙣𝙙 DeVonta Smith are frustrated with their roles in the Eagles’ offense, multiple sources tell me. One is venting more publicly than the other. But both want something to change — specifically in the red zone,” NFL insider Diana Russini posted.
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This isn't good news for the defending NFC champions. Tension and drama are the last things a winning locker room needs. Hopefully, the Eagles can address this before it spirals.
This situation will be worth watching over the next few weeks. If the frustrations continue to build, a trade involving Brown isn’t out of the question. As for Smith, for now, he appears stuck.