A.J. Brown's young career is well-stocked with big performances, but his latest one against the Tennessee Titans hit different for the 25 year old.
With eight receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns, Brown was a catalyst in a 35-10 beatdown of the Titans, his former team. The Eagles wide receiver wasn't shy about his feelings on the matchup following the victory.
"This one meant a lot to me," Brown said. "Early on, I had mixed emotions about the trade and everything. I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't circle this game"
Brown was traded by the Titans during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which was the result of a lengthy contract dispute after his first three seasons in Tennessee. The Eagles gave up first- and third-round draft picks in exchange for Brown, who had outplayed his rookie contract by generating 185 catches for 2,995 yards and 24 TDs in his first three years. Philadelphia also handed Brown a four-year, $100 million contract upon his arrival.
"It wasn't tough for me," Brown said of keeping his emotions in check for this game. "The past couple weeks, I've just been removing myself and kind of like working on myself. Like I've told you through the week, I've trying to be consistent -- that was my focus. It wasn't about who we were playing. Of course, I wanted to have a good day but I just kept my emotions down all week and just focused on what I needed to focus on. Today, I ran it out and let it all loose."
Brown prompted the rout with a 40-yard TD catch in the second quarter that broke a 7-7 tie, and spurred on the one-sided affair with a 30-yard TD grab in the end zone to start the second half. Both TD catches exemplified the physical style of play Brown presents for opposing corners, and his presence has helped turn Philadelphia into a top-three offense in points (28.2) and yards (388.3) entering Week 13.
Jalen Hurts' breakout season has also coincided with Brown's arrival, and the Eagles quarterback added to his MVP-caliber season on Sunday by passing for 380 yards and three TDs.
"I'm happy he put on a show," Hurts said. "He's a really special player."
Brown added after the game that it's "all love" for his former Titans coaches and teammates, and relived the emotions he felt for a team and city he wanted to spend his entire career with. But with the sentimental game now out of the way for Brown, the star wideout can focus on getting the Eagles (11-1) back to prominence with a key road game against the division rival Giants (7-4-1) in Week 14.
