Eagles' A.J. Brown Shuts Down Criticism of His Sideline Book Reading

Brown had 67 catches for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2024 season.
Brown had 67 catches for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2024 season. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

A.J. Brown has no time for criticism of his reading habits.

The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver went viral for reading a book on the sidelines during his team's 22–10 wild card round win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The book also went viral, and Brown has explained why he was reading it during the game. Brown seems to be frustrated that he's still having to answer questions about it.

On Wednesday, Brown was asked about the negative reaction to his reading during the game and fired back.

"None of that stuff really matters. I'm going to continue to be myself. I'm not pretending, it's not a facade or anything," Brown said. "Who cares who don't like it? I'm a three-time All-Pro... Most importantly I go out there and do my job, so all the other s--- just don't matter."

As long as Brown performs, there doesn't seem to be a reason to criticize how he acts on the sideline if he's not being disruptive.

In 13 games this season, the 27-year-old caught 67 passes for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns. It was his fifth 1,000-yard campaign in his six NFL seasons.

The Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round on Sunday. Fans will be watching to see if Brown is reading again.


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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.