Why Titans Fans Now Look at A.J. Brown Differently

The Pro Bowl wide receiver has happily played a villain for those who once cheered him when he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans will have more to worry about this Sunday than just A.J. Brown.

But good luck trying to find a juicier storyline.

One of the Titans' most popular players during his three-year tenure (2019-21), which included nearly 3,000 receiving yards and 24 touchdown receptions, Brown has done an impressive job of turning many of his once-devoted fans against him over the past seven months.

It began for some with Brown’s trade to Philadelphia last April, when news broke that he had cut off communication with the Titans in the weeks leading up to the deal.

Still, that could be understood to some degree as a negotiating tactic. Brown looked to cash in on three productive seasons as well as the surge in the wide-receiver salary market. There were plenty who blamed Titans general manager Jon Robinson for not finding a way to get a new deal done as well.

It’s Brown’s social-media jabs from afar that have irked the Titans faithful:

• There was the time in June, for instance, that he took to Twitter to argue with a Titans fan, proclaiming he was the best receiver in franchise history to boot: “For the love of God , I was the best receiver to play for your franchise. Shut up and move on. You mad at the wrong person.”

• There was the time in early October when he chose to throw some shade at his former coach, noting that – although he respected Mike Vrabel – “he’s the (New England coach Bill) Belichick way. Everything is lock in, no fun over there. You going to get the job done.” Brown went on to say that Eagles coach Nick Sirianni let his players have fun, “let us express our personality. I think that’s huge.”

• Then there was the one that really sent everyone over the top, when Brown – watching rookie quarterback Malik Willis and the Titans’ passing game struggle in a nationally televised Sunday Night Football loss at Kansas City – couldn’t resist taking another crack at his old team. He posted a laughing “Ain’t Nobody Open” tweet, mimicking the broadcasters’ description of the contest.

How surprising was that comment in particular to Brown’s former Titans teammates?

“I mean, A.J. always has little moments on social media and stuff like that,” safety Kevin Byard said Monday. “I wouldn’t say it surprised me or nothing like that.

“Obviously when he tweeted that … it was during the game. … So, I didn’t see it until after the game. It was funny. But you know, he’s got his thoughts and stuff like that. He obviously is a guy I respect and love and admire. I’m going to chop it up with him pre-game, probably after the game and everything. But he’s in Philly now. We can only focus on what we can do.”

Brown is in the midst of an excellent season with the Eagles, who have the NFL’s best record at 10-1. The Titans’ 2019 second-round draft pick has 53 receptions, and he ranks tied for fourth in the league with seven touchdown catches, seventh in the league in average yards per catch (15.7), and ninth in the league with 831 receiving yards.

He’s only part of a frightening Philly offense that racked up 500 yards of offense in defeating Green Bay on Sunday. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has accounted for 3,157 yards of offense and 25 touchdowns this season; running back Miles Sanders has run for 900 yards and eight touchdowns; receiver DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert have combined for more than 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards.

“They have a lot of other weapons (besides Brown),” Byard said. “So we’re going to make it about the entire offense, not just about A.J. Obviously A.J. is one of their guys. (But) it’s going to be us about trying to go beat the Philadelphia Eagles.”

Smart, logical comment on the part of Byard.

But as for Titans fans, the sense is they’d love to see one man in particular – A.J. Brown – shut down and shut up.