Philadelphia Eagles BREAKING: Injured A.J. Brown OUT for NFL Playoffs at Bucs

Philadelphia Eagles BREAKING: Injured A.J. Brown OUT for NFL Playoffs at Bucs

Maybe all of this was to get remedied on Saturday when the Philadelphia Eagles get in another workout before traveling to Tampa Bay for their Monday night playoff matchup.

Maybe A.J. Brown wasn't to miss the noon-time start practice today with what the team is describing as a knee injury.

But alas ... Ed Kracz of EaglesToday.com at SI is confirming the wideout is OUT for the first playoff game.

Brown did not practice on Thursday because of the injury. And he did not practice on Friday, either. And he has not been very forthcoming with the media about his thoughts on the playoffs after he hurt his knee during the first half of last Sunday's Week 18 loss to the New York Giants.

USA TODAY

Oh, and the social-media scrubbing bit also marks an absence of communication, though some people are spinning that as a sign of ultimate focus.

Maybe so. But right now, Brown's status for Monday night's Wild Card game against the Bucs is a major NFL storyline ... for two reasons.

One: During the regular season, Brown compiled 106 receptions for 1,456 receiving yards and seven touchdowns and made second-team All-Pro. Brown is about as good at his job as any Eagle and as any NFL receiver.

A.J. Brown, Where Are You?

Two: As the 8 p.m. ET kickoff for Monday's contest (on ESPN/ABC) approaches, the Eagles should desperately want the football world to talk about them as a football team, not as a soap opera.

But now they'll be talking A.J. Brown ... and how whatever his role is going forward, it won't be as a weapon in Tampa.