A.J. Brown could retire with Eagles based on heartfelt tribute to City of Brotherly Love

Ryan OLeary

A.J. Brown could retire with Eagles based on heartfelt tribute to City of Brotherly Love image

Fans fearing the Philadelphia Eagles could one day move on from superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown and his one-of-a-kind personality can rest assured. Fresh of a Super Bowl title and an inaugural award for his work in the community, Brown sounds like a man who wants to spend the rest of his career in the City of Brotherly Love.

Brown made an appearance Tuesday at The Philly Service Award, a non-profit that hosts a community service competition for local high school students. Mayor Cherelle Parker invited Brown as a special guest speaker, and surprised him with the first-ever “Making a Better Philly Changemaker Award,” which was created to honor ongoing commitment to supporting Philadelphia youth and communities.

Brown shared a clip of the event on his social media channels on Wednesday, including pieces of what was a heartfelt address to the city he now calls home:

This city made me sharper, tougher and more focused, not just as a player but as a man.  And every time I step onto that field, or into the community, I carry that Philly edge with me. You all — Philly — has adopted me, and I’m so thankful. — A.J. Brown

As with any star athlete, Brown’s name often surfaces in trade rumors. His cryptic comments on Philly’s struggling passing game went viral in 2024, as did screenshots of him reading a self-care book on the sideline during one of the Eagles’ home playoff games. Brown has been open about his childhood love for the New England Patriots and respect for Mike Vrabel, his head coach when he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2019. All of that only fuels hot take artists with fabricated reports that Brown could be on the move.

In reality, Brown is signed through the 2029 season, thanks to the three-year, $96 million extension he agreed to in April of 2024. GM Howie Roseman, of course, isn’t trading away one of the best wide receivers in football while he’s under team control and in his prime. 

Brown isn’t scheduled to hit free agency until his age 33 season, and he doesn’t sound like a player who’s interested in leaving Philadelphia anytime soon.

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.