What led to Philadelphia Eagles trading A.J. Brown? Here's a timeline.
The A.J. Brown saga ended Monday when the Philadelphia Eagles finally traded the star wide receiver to the New England Patriots.
The Eagles received a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick from the Patriots in exchange for Brown, pending a physical.
Before Monday's trade, plenty happened on and off the field involving Brown, which led to questions about his future in Philadelphia.
Here's a timeline of events preceding the Eagles trading Brown to the Patriots.
A.J. Brown's media silence in 2023
Brown broke an NFL record with 125-plus receiving yards in six straight games in 2023, but that season went off the rails.
The Eagles were 10-1 and collapsed, losing six of their final seven games, including a playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As part of that collapse, Brown declined to speak with the media for two weeks, leading to questions from the media and fans.
After beating the New York Giants on Christmas Day, Brown declined to speak with reporters and said he had "nothing nice to say."
Then, after a brutal loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Brown again told the media he had "nothing to say."
Days after the Cardinals loss, Brown cleared the air by voicing his frustrations and apologizing to his teammates.
Brandon Graham opens can of worms in 2024 season
After the Eagles narrowly beat the Carolina Panthers in a game in which the passing game struggled, Brown was asked what the Birds need to improve on.
"Passing," Brown said.
Fellow Birds wideout DeVonta Smith was also frustrated with the offense.
One day after the win, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham opened up a can of worms on his radio show on 94 WIP, where he said the relationship between Jalen Hurts and Brown has changed.
Graham eventually apologized for his comments, saying he misspoke, and Hurts and Brown downplayed them.
A.J. Brown goes viral for reading "Inner Excellence" during playoff game
About a month after Graham's comments, Brown went viral during a wild-card round playoff game vs. the Green Bay Packers, when the TV broadcast caught him reading a book on the sideline.
Brown was reading "Inner Excellence" by Jim Murphy.
Brown said after the game that he brought it to every game, but that was the first time he was seen reading it.
Brown finished the win with one catch for 10 yards and said he wasn't reading the book because he was frustrated.
"It gives me a sense of peace," Brown said after the win.
Brown and the Eagles would go on to win Philadelphia's second Super Bowl weeks later in a dominant showing over the Kansas City Chiefs.
A.J. Brown's cryptic social media posts, Janky Rondo stream appearance
In the 2025 season, Brown made multiple cryptic social media posts after wins.
Following a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brown posted a biblical passage that read: "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way."
Brown later said he let his frustrations boil over and that his post wasn't directed at Hurts or head coach Nick Sirianni.
In a Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings, when Brown had four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns, Brown posted "Using me but not using me" on social media.
Weeks later, Brown appeared on Janky Rondo's Twitch stream, where the Eagles' wide receiver said things have been a "[expletive] show" and that he was "struggling." Brown also encouraged people who drafted him in fantasy football to drop him.
After the Twitch stream appearance, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie met with Brown, and the wide receiver told him he would stop complaining on social media, according to ESPN.
Playoff loss vs. San Francisco 49ers
In Brown's final game as an Eagle, he had an underwhelming performance with multiple drops on key plays vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
Brown had three catches for 25 yards on seven targets in the wild-card round loss in January. He didn't speak to the media after the game and was seen hugging teammates in the locker room before leaving.
Brown also had a heated exchange with Sirianni that was caught on broadcast.
Sirianni defended Brown after the game, saying he was trying to get his player off the field because the Eagles were punting.
Jalen Hurts' comments on A.J. Brown before trade
Much has been made of Hurts and Brown's relationship throughout the entire trade saga, but the reason why their relationship apparently went south isn't immediately clear.
Brown and Hurts have been friends for a long time. Hurts is the godfather of Brown's daughter. The Eagles' quarterback also hosted Brown on a recruiting visit at Alabama.
Last week at OTAs, Hurts said his relationship with Brown is "really good" and that he was "happy" to see him get married in the offseason.
"Nothing can replace all of the greatness that we achieved together," Hurts said last week.
