Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown is capable of taking over games, and he has the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
Family keeps Brown grounded, and juggling professional football with young children can be difficult. Thankfully, Brown has a strong support system he leans on.
Here’s everything you need to know about his longtime girlfriend, Kelsey Riley.
A.J. Brown and Girlfriend Kelsey Riley Have 2 Kids Together
Riley has been in a relationship with Brown since at least 2022, when she first posted a picture posing with their son, Arthur Brown Jr., whom they welcomed in September earlier that year.
The Eagles WR also has a daughter named Jersee, who was born in May 2020, and he was able to be there to take care of her more than usual during the pandemic.
In an interview with NFL Total Access, Brown shared that even though he wasn’t getting any sleep, it was all worth it for his baby girl.
In 2021, while he was still playing for the Tennessee Titans, Brown got emotional talking about his daughter, and said that she’s the reason why he’s still going, admitting that she’s the one he plays for and where he gathers his courage from.
Riley is a former model who is now a social media influencer. She has been active on Instagram since 2019, and she recently celebrated her 27th birthday. Brown didn’t leave any stone unturned to make it as special as possible before the regular season festivities begin.
In her birthday post, Riley showed off a big bouquet of roses received from her boyfriend and also shared a video selfie of them spending her birthday in the clouds as they enjoyed a ride in a helicopter.
The couple seemed to end the night with some scrumptious-looking desserts, including a hot skillet cookie, which served as a birthday cake, along with a carrot cake.
Riley is a Louisiana native and graduated from Texas Southern University, where she played softball from 2016-19. Her impressive skills granted her the biggest opportunity she never could’ve imagined — a free education.
Eagles vs. Commanders Game Preview
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Date: Jan. 26, Sunday
- Channel: Fox/Fox Deportes
Now, Brown is trying to lead the Eagles past Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game.
With one more win, Daniels can become the first rookie quarterback to start in the Super Bowl. Daniels will be the sixth rookie QB to start in the Conference Championship Round; the prior five went 0-5 and performed disastrously.
Including the playoffs, Daniels ranks first in EPA per dropback when blitzed (0.36). While still effective against standard pass rushes, his EPA per dropback drops to 0.10 (13th) in those situations.
During this playoff run, Daniels became the first rookie QB in NFL history to record 275 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in a playoff win, the first rookie to beat a No. 1 seed since Joe Flacco in 2008, and the third rookie QB to win two road playoff games (joining Flacco and Mark Sanchez).
Now, Daniels will face an Eagles defense that blitzes at the second-lowest rate of any team this season, including playoffs. During their two regular-season matchups, Daniels punished the Eagles’ blitz, producing an incredible 1.03 EPA (Expected Points Added) per dropback and 14.5 yards per attempt when blitzed.
Philadelphia only blitzed him on 14 of his 84 dropbacks (17%) in those games. Against their non-blitz pass rush, Daniels was far less effective, averaging a modest -0.02 EPA per dropback.
Saquon Barkley had significant success against Washington. In their two matchups, Barkley rushed for 451 yards and four touchdowns, averaging an impressive 5.4 yards per carry.
However, the Commanders found a way to limit Barkley in Week 16 after Jalen Hurts left the game in the first quarter, forcing Kenny Pickett to step in. Over the final three quarters, Barkley managed just 41 rushing yards on 22 attempts. Before Hurts’ injury, Barkley had been averaging over 7.7 yards per carry against Washington.
If Hurts is limited by his left leg injury, the Commanders could focus on loading up against Barkley to contain the Eagles’ rushing attack. By committing additional resources to stop Barkley, they might aim to force Hurts to rely more on his passing game, testing his mobility and effectiveness with the injury.
The Eagles have leaned heavily on Barkley and Hurts’ rushing abilities to generate offense in the playoffs. Through two games, 70.9% of their total yards have come on the ground.
The Commanders will play in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. Only the Browns, who last appeared in a Conference Championship Game in 1989, endured a longer drought.
Washington went 4-13 (.235) last year, marking the fourth-worst win percentage in the season prior to making a Conference Championship appearance, trailing only the 2017 Jaguars (0.188), 2006 Saints (0.188), and 1967 Oilers (0.214).
The Eagles lost two games in September and have lost one game since — at Washington in Week 16 after Hurts exited early with a concussion. In that loss, Philadelphia became the first team to score 21 points in the first quarter in a losing effort since the 2019 Texans (during the Divisional Round on the road against the Chiefs).
PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives the Eagles a 61.8% chance of winning this game while the Commanders have 38.2% odds.
