Jalen Hurts Has Last Laugh, Helps Eagles Land Big One in A.J. Brown

Thanks to the quarterback, the Eagles had the inside straight on A.J. Brown once the star receiver's relationship soured with Tennessee

PHILADELPHIA - Resplendent in a green checkerboard suit with daughter Jersee in his arms, receiver A.J. Brown introduced himself to Philadelphia late Monday afternoon at the NovaCare Complex moments after putting pen to paper on a four-year extension worth nine figures.

Content as the new WR1 appeared, however, his exit from Tennessee was anything but, calling it, "bittersweet."

"I built relationships over the last three years with a lot of good friends [with the Titans], 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."

Part of Brown's excitement with Philadelphia has to do with Jalen Hurts, the second-year starter often blamed for the inability to attract veteran receivers by some, a narrative born from the Eagles' run-first offense during the second half of the 2021 season.

In theory, the narrative made some sense.

Receiver is often described as the most "selfish" position in football and the next wideout you meet who doesn't want the football is going to be the first.

That said, when you examine each of the Eagles' failures in both free agency and the trade market before finally landing Brown, each situation was unique. None, however, pointed toward Hurts.

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Atlanta's Calvin Ridley was suspended for betting NFL games on a gambling app and Christian Kirk was a good player paid like a great one by the Jacksonville Jaguars, forcing the Eagles to bow out from a number they weren't going near for that particular player.

From there, Allen Robinson wanted an opportunity to play for the Super Bowl champions and Robert Woods, given an opportunity to pick his next destination by the LA Rams, chose Tennessee right away.

When Brown, by far the best of that lot by the way, finally requested to be traded from the Titans after the two sides couldn't come to an agreement on a contract extension, per a report from ESPN's Turron Davenport, the star receiver coveted Philadelphia first and foremost because of his relationship with Hurts.

It was one built from their first meeting when Alabama was recruiting Brown before the lengthy wideout chose Ole Miss.

Hurts' failed lobbying for the Crimson Tide, however, turned out to be an inside straight for the Eagles in 2022 because the QB1 and Brown hit it off so well that their relationship blossomed into something far bigger than football.

Hurts was there when Brown was drafted by the Titans. He attended Brown's daughter's birthday the week before the Eagles pulled off the draft-night deal that send the No. 18 overall pick and a third-rounder for the receiver.

The two also recently worked out together with Hurts telling Brown he was going to put the thought of the two friends playing together in Howie Roseman's head.

Hurts put a "bug in [the Eagles'] ear," leading up to the draft, Brown said. "I'm extremely excited to play with him. We always joked about it, but we never thought it would be reality."

In the end, Hurts never did cost the Eagles lesser receivers like Ridley, Kirk, et al but he sure helped the franchise land the big fish.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen