Revenge games are some of the greatest things sports have to offer, and Sunday’s matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans was a reminder of that.
A.J. Brown, who was traded from Tennessee to Philadelphia this offseason, played against his former team for the first time Sunday — celebrating with perhaps his best performance as an Eagle. The 25-year-old finished with eight receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-10 win. Following the game, he made his thoughts on his departure known.
“It has been personal since the trade,” Brown said, per NFL Media’s Mike Giardi. “I tried to do everything in my power to remain a Titan.”
Whether Brown truly did everything in his power to remain in Tennessee is a question. The crux of his issues with the Titans stem from him wanting a new contract. Tennessee seemingly had the leverage, knowing Brown was under contract for one more year, until the wideout chose to sit out until his name was on the back of a new jersey. Eventually the Titans relented and shipped him off to Philadelphia — who inked him to a new deal. It was a saga that led to bad blood between the two parties, but obviously didn’t impact how Brown prepared for Week 13.
“I’m proud of how he handled this week,” Hurts said postgame, per Giardi. “He has swagger. He has confidence in himself. He has a unique physical ability to do what he does at a high level. I tell those guys, ‘Go express yourself.’ He’s a big-time player. He’s still scratching the surface.”
To this day, Brown retains the trade wasn’t his fault, but an 11-1 record with the Eagles surely doesn’t have him second guessing the whole ordeal.
