Eagles’ A.J. Brown Sends Saquon Barkley Message Before Cowboys Game

"I guess Saquon ain't the same player either, then," he said.

To Brown's point, both players have statistically regressed this season. Barkley is 150th in the NFL with 3.8 yards per carry, which is two yards fewer than his average last year. The former Penn State Nittany Lion is also just 14th with 662 rushing yards despite ranking fourth with 175 carries.

Meanwhile, Brown's yards-per-catch average is 4.1 yards lower than his 2024 mark, and his yards-per-game average is 32.2 yards lower.

There Are Multiple Reasons for A.J. Brown's Struggles

Brown's advanced stats help explain his setback this season, via Fantasy Points' Chris Wecht.

"What has changed for AJ Brown in 2025? His separation skills have really taken a hit: - Overall win rate down 9.5% - Zone win rate down 7.8% - Man win rate down 5.5% - His targets are contested 9.3% more," he said. "He's being used in the slot 9% less and his deep and intermediate route usage are up 4% and 6% respectively."

"So yes, the Eagles are not featuring him like they used to, but he also isn't getting open like he used to," he concluded.

On one hand, it makes sense for Philadelphia to decrease Brown's usage if he's not getting open as much. However, scheming plays to get him going could also help.

Regardless, the Eagles are 8-2, so they have no incentive to overhaul their gameplan. Additionally, Brown is under contract through 2029, so they have time to help him find his groove again.

Up next for Philadelphia is an away game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday before a Black Friday matchup with the Chicago Bears at home. Sunday's game will start at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.