Nick Sirianni Acknowledges AJ Brown’s Underutilization in Eagles Offense Despite 4-0 Start

Despite reduced targets in the offense for AJ Brown, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is adamant that his star receiver will stick around instead of requesting a trade.

Nick Sirianni Acknowledges AJ Brown’s Underutilization in Eagles Offense Despite 4-0 Start

Nick Sirianni and AJ Brown (Image via X/IMAGO)

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The Philadelphia Eagles may be 20-1 in the past calendar year, but AJ Brown continues to be unhappy. He looked to have turned over a new leaf with a 109-yard and 1-touchdown outing against the Los Angeles Rams, but just 2 catches from 7 targets in the following week brought him back to square one.

Beating the Bucs helped little to simmer down Brown’s frustration. He tweeted a quote from Mark 6:11 in the Bible.

If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulder and be on your way.

Clearly, Brown is unhappy with the lack of supply. During the Eagles’ press briefing on Monday, reporters asked head coach Nick Sirianni about Brown’s status on the team amidst the rising tension.

Yeah, yeah [he wants to be here]. Obviously, AJ is very important to this football team. I know he wants to contribute… And do the things that he’s capable of doing… Again, he wants to contribute to these wins. And he’s had a couple of games where he hasn’t been able to do for different reasons… I question nothing about his desire to play great football, desire of being a good teammate, and desire to be here.

Nick Sirianni said via The Athletic’s Zach Berman

After recording 1450+ consecutive receiving yard seasons to start his Eagles career, Brown dropped to 1079 yards in 2024 as Sirianni adopted a run-first offense. Saquon Barkley led the league in scrimmage yards and rushing yards.

Sirianni tweaked the offense once again in 2025. New OC Kevin Patullo introduced a more physical approach, with the controversial tush push play as the centerpiece.

Philly has benefited a great deal, but at the expense of reduced ball time for Brown and his fellow wide receivers. Brown’s 14 receptions from 28 targets for 151 yards and 1 touchdown are merely the byproduct of the system.

Retired NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson backed Brown in his quest to receive more touches on the ball.

Do you understand what that does to players’ mentality? I don’t think fans understand. Yes, they won the game. But players want to contribute and help to win those said games. [AJ Brown] has been telling us this for years now. Last year, he was reading his book. You’re paying me $33 million. Not only am I the No. 1 receiver, but I’m the captain of the team for a reason.

Chad Johnson said on the Nightcap podcast

Last year, Brown demonstrated a peculiar stunt while going through a similar patch. The 3x All-Pro wideout started reading books in the dugout to quell his boredom.

Should the Eagles trade away AJ Brown?

The Eagles made Brown one of the highest-paid receivers in football before the start of the last campaign. He will be well into his 30s by the time the contract expires.

Nick Sirianni Acknowledges AJ Brown's Underutilization in Eagles Offense Despite 4-0 Start
AJ Brown (Image via IMAGO)

However, the Eagles can cash in on him with a trade. Several names have sprouted all over the internet, but the team most likely to make a move for the Ole Miss graduate is the New England Patriots.

Ryan McLaughlin of Musket Fire wrote a piece on how the Patriots can acquire Brown.

Brown is the highest-paid receiver in the NFL and is under contract through 2029. While it’s doubtful that Philadelphia would give him up coming off a Super Bowl championship, New England could shock the NFL world with a deal such as this. The Patriots would have to give up multiple draft picks and likely some players, but Brown’s talents could be worth it.

For now, Brown is an Eagles player, and the Philly team is 4-0. In week five, they face the 2-2 Denver Broncos at home.

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