A.J. Brown Reveals Jalen Hurts Pushed for Eagles to Trade for Him

The Philadelphia quarterback supposedly lobbied the team to strike a deal for the wide receiver during the 2022 NFL draft.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown will swap out his old Titans jersey for a new set of Eagles threads next season after he was traded during the first round of the 2022 NFL draft last Thursday. 

Tennessee dealt the 24-year-old receiver after he requested a trade and Philadelphia footed the bill, sending back the No. 18 pick and a third-rounder. The Eagles also signed the 2020 Pro Bowler to a four-year, $100 million contract extension that includes $57 million guaranteed, making him the fourth-highest paid receiver in the NFL.

Prior to last Thursday it remained unclear where Brown would be traded, or if he would even be moved at all. However, the receiver had an important advocate in the Eagles locker room: quarterback Jalen Hurts. 

During his introductory press conference on Monday, Brown said that Hurts put a “bug in [the Eagles'] ear,” and lobbied the team to get a deal done. The two players had developed a friendship over the years after Hurts tried to recruit Brown to join him at Alabama out of high school. 

Brown ended up choosing Ole Miss, but Hurts was clearly persistent about teaming up, this time in the NFL.

“I’m extremely excited to play with him,” Brown said Monday. “We always joked about it, but we never thought it would be reality.”

Brown was effective in his first three NFL seasons in Tennessee, hauling in 185 receptions for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns. Although he stated that he has no “bad blood” with the Titans, he made clear that he’s ready to turn the page and begin a new chapter.

“I built relationships over the last three years with a lot of good friends, and just to see it go, just leaving the building, it’s tough,” he said. “But I’m also excited to be an Eagle and to be a part of a great organization.”

• Eagles Today: EAGLES UNFILTERED: Reacting to the Eagles’ Draft, A.J. Brown Trade 

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