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Sep 28, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith (6) enters the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

What About Smitty? Eagles' Star WR2 Isn't Getting The Football Either

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By John McMullen | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 3:38 PM ET

While A.J. Brown has generated most of the headlines when it comes to the Eagles’ struggling passing game, fellow star receiver DeVonta Smith is hardly getting the football at a breakneck pace.

In fact, Smith (21) has fewer targets than Brown (27) during Philadelphia’s 4-0 start. What has been going better for Smith is catch percentage, which is 81.0% vs. Brown’s 51.9%.

During Sunday's 31-25 win at Tampa Bay, Brown snared two of nine targets for seven yards, while Smith handled both of only two targets for 29 yards.

Smith has a team-high 17 receptions for 158 yards, 9.3 yards per reception, and Brown is at 14-151-10.8, unacceptable numbers for players universally regarded as top-tier wideouts.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and plenty of talk this week has focused on how to get Brown the football, while the understated Smith languishes in receiver purgatory as a top-level playmaker in an offense built on the foundation of Saquon Barkley and the running game.

A More Layered Problem?

“These guys know that they're great football players and want to do things that contribute to help us win football games,” head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday. “And to me, that's normal. We want to get them the ball, and so we have to do our job as coaches to help them get the ball.”

The production is almost inconceivable for players who’ve performed at such high levels in the past. In the case of Brown, three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and three second-team All-Pro berths, while Smith has two 1,000-yard seasons and another over 900.

Right now both Brown and Smith are on pace for fewer than 700 yards over 17 games.

“They're great players and then they have to go out and we all have to execute in that situation,” Sirianni said. “Like I've said to you guys before, every game plan starts with – in the pass game, how are we getting A.J., how are we getting DeVonta, how are we getting [Eagles TE] Dallas [Goedert] the football?”

For now, the idea seems to be circumstance.

The Eagles have faced some of the better defenses in the NFL over the first four games in Kansas City, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Bucs.

“When you know your process is that and there's things that you need to help you win football games like getting those guys the football, I think in the long run it takes care of itself,” Sirianni said. “We're early in the season, obviously we are pumped that we're 4-0, but we know there's a lot of things to get better at, and that's exciting. That's really exciting.

“And so what I see from DeVonta is him coming to work every single day working to get better because those are the things that he can control. ‘How do I get better today to put myself in the best position to make plays and win the game on Sunday?’”

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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