WR A.J. Brown is officially out of the Philadelphia Eagles playoff clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.
The Eagles enter the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and are trying to right the ship after suffering key losses down the stretch of the season. They will now have to do it without their most productive receiver in Brown for the playoff tie.
Why Is A.J. Brown Out?
Brown suffered a knee injury in Week 18 against the New York Giants, which will keep him out of the first round of the NFL playoffs.
The Eagles had no choice but to play their starters with the division on the line, and DeVonta Smith was already out injured. Brown went down in the first quarter holding his knee after Giants CB Nick McCloud forced him to fumble and hit the ground.
The WR stayed down and was supervised by medical staff. After spending some time with the medics, he was able to head to the sideline without help.
Brown ended the game with just one reception for nine yards and a fumble. The Eagles lost the game 27-10, meaning they’ve now lost five out of their last six games.
After hobbling to the sideline, clearly in some pain from his left knee, Brown went to the medical tent before heading to the locker room, where he was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
Scans ruled out the worst fears for Philly, with ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reporting that Brown has a knee sprain rather than the suspected ACL injury.
The sprain caused Brown to miss the whole week of practice, and finally, on Saturday, Jan. 13, Schefter confirmed that the Eagles’ WR was officially out of the game against the Buccaneers.
HC Nick Sirianni told the media, “It was going to be a stretch for A.J. to play. He did everything he possibly could to get himself ready.”
Continuing, the Eagles’ HC said, “He fought like crazy to try to do everything he could do to do so, which doesn’t surprise me at all about A.J. He’s tough, and he’d do anything for his teammates. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to rip it this week.”
There is some optimism for next week, though. Schefter commented that Brown “has made enough progress” to potentially be available next week if the Eagles progress — which isn’t a given.
With the Eagles in bad form and playing like one of the worst defenses in the league for the last few months, there is worry among Philadelphia fans.
It’s especially true for the Wild Card round, as QB Jalen Hurts suffered a dislocated middle finger in Week 18, which could be costly for the Eagles. Hurts is expected to play, but the pair of injuries to their two offensive players is a concern for Philadelphia.
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With Brown missing, Hurts will be without his most productive offensive weapon. Brown had 1,456 receiving yards in the 2023 regular season with seven touchdowns.
Smith, who is expected to return after missing Week 18 with an injury, will become Philly’s go-to weapon. With 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns himself in 2023, Smith has also been a valued weapon for Hurts.
Other receiving options such as Julio Jones, Quez Watkins, and TE Dallas Goedert, will also need to contribute.
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