PHILADELPHIA — A.J. Brown flashed a huge smile as he walked down the rampway in the Eagles’ auditorium at the NovaCare Complex on Monday with his 2-year-old daughter, Jersee, carefully seated in his left arm.
The new star in Philly, A.J. Brown’s daughter, Jersee. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/N90v0OTP6Z
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) May 2, 2022
Dressed in a suit that was about as Eagles green as one could get without looking like actual team merchandise, Brown had a lot to be happy about during his introductory press conference in South Philly. He signed a newly minted four-year, $100 contract extension, will be reunited with his best friend, QB Jalen Hurts, and will work in an offense where he will be complemented by former first-round pick DeVonta Smith.
Now, all Brown wants to do is win a Super Bowl.
“All I care about is winning,” Brown said. “I’m not a big regular-season guy. I want to win it all, and that’s my expectation coming into this building. I’m not trying to put expectations on the team, but I want to win. I haven’t won anything since I was in high school. So, I know this is a great team, a great organization that can get it done.”
Brown, 24, was traded on Thursday during the first round of the draft. The Eagles sent the 18th and 101st overall picks to the Tennessee Titans midway through the first round after Brown’s agent reached a deal with GM Howie Roseman.
Brown said he heard about the trade agreement — which was pending a contract-extension agreement — earlier that afternoon, and his agent handled the negotiations from there. Still, Brown had to play the waiting game for several hours.
“Just mixed emotions,” Brown said about the lead-up to the trade. “I went and worked out — actually worked out real hard — tried to get some stuff off my chest, and it was just ups and downs. It was bittersweet. I was a little sad that the Titans were onboard with the trade. But it’s part of the business, and that’s fine.”
Brown watched as several of his peers received huge contract extensions during free agency. Those players were either traded or became free agents before they signed new deals.
Brown said that when he saw those moves being made, he felt compelled to have his talent financially “appreciated” in a similar way. The Titans couldn’t meet his asking price, but Brown refused to acknowledge if he asked for a trade.
“I built relationships over the past three years with a lot of good friends, and just to see it go, just leaving the building, it was tough,” Brown said. “I’m also excited to be an Eagle and to be a part of a great organization.”
#Eagles WR A.J. Brown on leaving the #Titans: “It’s bittersweet.” @PFN365 pic.twitter.com/kG4IXVoPoZ
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) May 2, 2022
No matter what led to the trade, the former Pro Bowl playmaker is ready to get to work with Hurts, who has been his close friend since the QB tried to recruit him to Alabama when they were just teenagers. Brown chose Ole Miss during that recruiting effort, but this time the stars aligned for Hurts and the wideout to play together.
“He made it a lot easier to make the decision,” Brown said about Hurts’ influence on the trade. “Because I know he has my back, and he knows I have his.”
The Eagles haven’t had a wide receiver eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Jeremy Maclin did it in 2014. Brown produced 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. He collected 185 catches for 2,995 yards and 26 touchdowns during his entire three-year tenure with the Titans.
The Eagles are getting a proven playmaker in Brown, and his contract speaks volumes about how the franchise views him in their offense.
“I’m one of the top guys in the league,” Brown said. “I’m confident in how I play and what I bring to the table. I’m glad the Eagles believed in me.”