A.J. Brown is Fined, but Doing Fine, Confounding Defenses all Season

The Eagles WR was fined for unsportsmanlike conduct against Tennessee, but he has Giants DC Wink Martindale scratching his head on how to stop him

USA Today

A.J. Brown may be the first player in NFL history fined for "spanking" a goalpost.

The Eagles receiver was hit with a $13,261 penalty for spanking the goal post with his towel after scoring what he thought was a 40-yard touchdown catch in last week’s 35-10 win over the Tennessee Titans.

The fine was technically for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Brown will pay the price even though the TD didn’t count, after being overturned on replay after it was ruled he did not come down with both feet in bounds.

No matter. On the very next play, Jalen Hurts went Browns’ way again, only down the left side instead of the right for a 40-yard score. This one stood up, and Brown did not spank the goalpost this time.

Brown can certainly afford the fine after signing a four-year contract for $100 million after being acquired in a trade during the first round of last spring’s NFL draft.

He has been worth every penny.

Still just 25, Brown is 50 yards away from this third 1,000-yard season in four years in the league. With nine touchdowns, he is two away from tying his career-high set in 2020.

He could achieve both milestones on Sunday vs. the New York Giants.

Wink Martindale, the Giants’ defensive coordinator was asked how to slow Brown down.

“Whew, got any ideas?” Martindale responded. “It’s like they’ve got (wide receiver Terrell Owens) T.O. back there playing again. He’s a problem. We went against him when he was in Tennessee and he’s a big physical receiver that you’d have to fight every play.

“I told (defensive backs coach) Jerome Henderson if he was a defensive player, he’d be an outside backer that’s how physical he plays at wide receiver.”

Head coach Brian Daboll was asked what stands out about the Eagles’ WR.

“Strong, excellent hands, can make contested catches, run after catch, a complete receiver,” said Daboll. “He was that way in Tennessee and he’s certainly that way now. Him and Jalen (Hurts) have a pretty special relationship.

“I’d say that they knew each other in college and there’s a lot of familiarity there with Jalen, Brown, and DeVonta (Smith) and you can tell. It’s paid off.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.