The Philadelphia Eagles improved to 4-0 on Sunday, September 28, 2025, with a 31-25 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a strong team win, but afterward the attention quickly shifted to wide receiver A.J. Brown, who declined to speak to reporters and instead posted a cryptic Bible verse, Mark 6:11, on social media.
The message, shared on X (formerly Twitter), read: “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.” The timing of the post, following a night in which Brown caught only 2 of his 9 targets for 7 yards, stirred speculation about whether his frustration was directed at the offense, his quarterback, Jalen Hurts, or the coaching staff.
Three days later, on Wednesday, October 2, Brown spoke to a group of reporters gathered at his locker and began with an acknowledgment that he had let his emotions get the better of him. “First of all, I want to start off by saying, obviously, Sunday after the game I let my frustrations boil over. I didn’t speak to the media. I had a chance to correct my frustrations and I continued to let it boil over and that’s on me. I take full accountability on that,” Brown said.
He said that the social media post was not aimed at anyone inside the Eagles’ building. “My message on Twitter wasn’t directed at anyone in the building — not my coaches, not my quarterback, my GM, nobody. I take full accountability. I have open communication with all of my coaches and with my quarterback, as well. Me and my coaches — KP [offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo], Nick [Sirianni] — we discuss weekly about trying to get this thing on the same page.”
Brown’s frustration has roots in how the offense has performed during the first month of the season. Through four games, he has recorded 14 receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown. Of those 151 yards, 109 came in Week 3 during Philadelphia’s comeback victory over the Los Angeles Rams. In the opener, he was targeted only once, but in the three games since he has seen no fewer than eight targets each week. Against Tampa Bay, however, those chances translated into just two catches, with no receptions on six second-half targets.
That inconsistency has not gone unnoticed in the betting market. Sportsbooks opened the Eagles as roughly 3.5-point favorites for their upcoming Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos, but the line has since moved closer to -4.5 at major operators like FanDuel and DraftKings. Totals have shifted into the 43.5–44.5 range, and Philadelphia’s moneyline sits around -210. For Brown specifically, prop markets remain active despite his modest numbers in Tampa. His anytime touchdown odds have been posted as high as +190 on FanDuel, and his season-long totals are still lofty, with books listing over/under 7.5 touchdowns and more than 1,100 yards for the year. Futures remain strong for the Eagles as a whole, with Super Bowl LX odds clustered near the top of the league and quarterback Jalen Hurts carrying MVP prices in the +1300 range. Analysts point out that Brown continues to rank among the league leaders in target share and air yards, and those usage numbers are keeping his betting props steady even while production has lagged.
He explained why those struggles left him upset. “I think it’s normal to have frustrations because of the standard we hold ourselves to. And we have a lot of talent on offense and, to be honest, defense and special teams, have been low-key carrying us. We need to clean up what we need to clean up and get on the same page and play to the ability that we say we can, and be who we are called to be. It’s a standard that we preach. So it’s easy to have that frustration. I think it’s fair to have that frustration. But I just can’t let that boil over.”
Brown also addressed why he wants the ball in critical moments. “I think it’s fair to want the ball to get us going. Like last week against the Rams, I caught the sluggo, got the offense going, next play it opened up for Dallas Goedert — the safety came to my side and opened him up. So, I don’t think it’s a bad thing for wanting the ball. It’s not just for targets or anything, to put numbers up. No, I see that we’re struggling and I’m a guy that wants the ball in those times when we can’t find a way. Give the ball to me. Like with the game on the line, give the ball to me. I want that. I want that pressure and put it on myself, and I work hard for it.”
The wide receiver, now 29 years old, has been named a second-team All-Pro for three straight years since joining Philadelphia. This is not the first time he has publicly voiced his dissatisfaction with the offense. Last season, during a December slump, he drew scrutiny again but ultimately worked through it with Hurts and the coaching staff. The Eagles went on to finish the year with 14 regular-season wins before capturing the Super Bowl LIX title.
Head coach Nick Sirianni, when asked earlier in the week, said he questions nothing about Brown’s passion or commitment; this competitive edge is part of what comes with having a star pass catcher. The situation, he indicated, is neither new nor alarming.
Brown himself made it clear that his outburst should not be seen as a sign that he wants to leave Philadelphia. “This is home. This is my home,” he told reporters. “Unfortunately, I did it to myself. I wouldn’t even say unfortunately. I did it to myself. But this is my home. I love it here. But you just see frustration because, obviously, we want to be great. Most definitely. I want to be great as well.”
Despite the tone of his Bible verse post, Brown added that he does feel heard inside the organization and maintains strong communication with his coaches and teammates. While the Eagles’ rushing attack masked passing inconsistencies last season, this year the ground game has not been as dominant, making the offense’s struggles in the air stand out even more.
Brown closed his remarks with optimism that the group will improve. “I’m very optimistic, man. I trust my coaches, I trust Jalen to get this thing figured out. We’re working towards it. Because we see it at times. It’s just the inconsistent is starting to be consistent. That’s where the frustration comes in at.”
