Latest bombshell report about Jalen Hurts drama won't quiet rumors about Eagles trading A.J. Brown

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was the subject of trade rumors long before a bombshell January report claimed that quarterback Jalen Hurts became "the source of much internal frustration, including from teammates other than Brown" during the 2025 season that ended for Philadelphia when the club lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round of the playoffs. 

It now sounds like the relationship between Brown and Hurts may be damaged beyond repair. 

"Angst" has grown between Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown?

For a lengthy piece published on Wednesday, ESPN's Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler detailed how the Eagles' passing attack falling "into deep ruts over the past several seasons...has been an ongoing source of angst for some internally." Team sources said that Brown was among those who "directed" such frustration at Hurts both publicly and behind the scenes. 

After the Tennessee Titans traded Brown to Philadelphia in the spring of 2022, the receiver referred to Hurts as his "best friend." However, that relationship had apparently worsened by the time veteran defensive end Brandon Graham said in December 2024 that the two "were friends before this, but things have changed."

According to McManus and Fowler, "word began circulating within the organization around that time that things 'weren't good'" between Brown and Hurts. 

"Earlier in their time together, it would not be uncommon to see Brown and Hurts engaged in long conversations in the locker room postgame during media availability," McManus and Fowler said. "As time went on, it was rare to see them interact in those types of public settings. There is a difference, a source with knowledge of their relationship said, between being friends with someone and being teammates, especially when referencing two alphas in a pressurized environment with different approaches to the goal of achieving high-end success."

How Eagles' Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown situation will likely be sorted

While Hurts signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth up to $255M with $179.3M guaranteed in the spring of 2023, Brown signed a three-year contract extension in April 2024. History shows that teams almost always pick a quarterback over a playmaker in situations such as the one hovering over the Eagles, and the ESPN article pointed out that Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni is "perhaps Hurts' most staunch public supporter." 

Meanwhile, some seem convinced that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will trade Brown after June 1 of this year. As recently as Tuesday, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel suggested he wants his club to match Roseman's asking price for Brown. The Patriots have a need at the position, and Vrabel was Brown's head coach when they were with the Titans from 2019 through the 2021 season. 

"Multiple team sources say they never saw Brown and Hurts engaged in an argument during the season and were professional throughout the season," McManus and Fowler added about the 2025 Eagles. "But both also tend to internalize issues, which leads to a lack of communication, sources said." 

That lack of communication seemingly could result in the Eagles trading Brown before training camp practices get underway this summer.