A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles have been afforded time to gather in an attempt to get on the same page.
After displaying signs of internal discord following their Week 14 win over the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia's key figures presented a united front Wednesday. Brown told reporters his comments on Sunday weren't about Hurts specifically, but about the team's passing limitations, and Hurts followed suit by stressing "we're good," which is also how Brown categorized their relationship.
None of this would have been a major talking point this week had another Eagle, veteran Brandon Graham, not spoken publicly on the matter and suggested there was a legitimate conflict between Hurts and Brown. Graham later attempted to double back on his comments, admitting fault for mischaracterizing the situation, but that clearly wasn't enough to set the record straight.
Brown attempted to do so Wednesday.
"B.G. was just being B.G.," Brown said of Graham. "He's emotional. In that case, he just misspoke. Me and Jalen are good. So, it's B.G. Everybody loves B.G. He's speaking from the heart. He's speaking from his perception, from the outside."
Hurts echoed Brown's comments, telling reporters Graham "spoke out of place, and he knows that." Perhaps more importantly, Hurts later addressed the bigger picture with the Eagles, an 11-2 team that hasn't yet earned the trust of its fanbase because of the disastrous meltdown to close the 2023 campaign.
Rumblings of internal issues understandably brought fans back to those dark days this week. Hurts tried to quell such concerns by stressing the importance of the team and the collective focus on doing what's best for it.
He also offered more insight on his relationship with Brown.
"Ultimately, he's a guy that's a competitor, he wants to win, he damn sure wants the ball, and he wants to make an impact in the game, and I respect that," Hurts said. "That's just like all of us."
Philadelphia's passing game has left plenty to be desired for a while now, and Brown's desires are clear. As Hurts said, he wants the ball. Hurts seemed to draw the ire of Brown after the receiver caught just four passes in their Week 14 win. It wasn't a good number to list next to the Brown's name, especially not for the caliber of player he is, and stood as a slight against Hurts, who threw for just 108 yards (plus two touchdowns) in their closer-than-expected win over the Panthers.
Those totals aren't new to these Eagles, who had their right tackle Lane Johnson describe their offense as "constipated" earlier this season. They've picked it up slightly in the passing game since Week 6, and Hurts has posted a 12-1 TD-INT ratio while averaging a passer rating of 113.7 and accounting for 23 offensive touchdowns over that span. Still, Hurts is averaging just 8.7 passing yards per attempt and 200.2 passing yards per game in 2024, ranking 27th among 30 quarterbacks with eight or more starts this season. That total is even lower than the 205.5 passing yards Hurts has averaged in Philadelphia's 11 wins this season, the fewest by any quarterback with 10-plus wins in a season since Mac Jones did so as a rookie in 2021 with the Patriots.
In their last three games -- all wins -- Hurts is averaging just 135 passing yards. There isn't much to go around, and Brown has grown tired of it.
What most are likely overlooking, though, is the presence of and massive contribution from offseason addition Saquon Barkley, who is making a strong case for NFL Most Valuable Player in 2024. He leads the NFL with nine 100-plus rushing yard games in 2024, including four straight such performances, and is currently on pace to set the single-season NFL rushing record.
Simply, Philadelphia's offense has evolved. The Eagles don't need their quarterback to play the hero in order to win. And in case those focused on the drama haven't noticed, they're 11-2. It's working.
"Things change as dynamics change, and the dynamic of our team has changed," Hurts said. "We had a great addition in Saquon Barkley, and he's been able to impact this team in a tremendous way. We've always been able to run the ball at a high level. He's taken it to the next level.
"It hasn't changed the main thing ultimately. We're looking at a piece of our game that we need to be better at. … There's always this ongoing challenge in that, but ultimately there's a different team every year, different dynamics every year. You have different coaches, different voices and different visions. So ultimately, you want to come together and try to find the best common ground to go out there and be successful for the team."
Although the air attack isn't prolific (or consistent), the Eagles continue to stack wins. That's more than they could say about their team at this time last year. Changing that identity in order to please a player or two would be foolish.
Hurts seems to understand that and believes everyone else will get on board with it.
"I mean, it's about the team in the end. I think overall that's where my focus is," Hurts said. "I think that's where everyone's focus is at heart and trying to do what's best for the team. Ultimately, everyone cares about the team success. Whenever something happens, whatever it is, I look at myself first because everything starts and ends with me. I take great pride in what I do.
"I take great pride and responsibilities that I have, what I am to the city and to this and I challenge myself on that. I'm my best when I'm my biggest critic, and I have to continue to challenge myself on being critical on some things so I can be better. In the end, everyone expresses themselves differently and I respect that and I accept how anyone shows up. But ultimately, I look at myself first and I say how can I be better, what do I need to be better and ultimately play at the highest level I can play."
