A.J. Brown still has love for quarterback Jalen Hurts even though they drifted apart over the last few years, the three-time All-Pro wide receiver said.
Brown shared as much and more with NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor in an interview published on Tuesday, one day after his long-awaited trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots. Per the Eagles, Brown was traded to the Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection, pending a physical.
New England head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Tuesday that Brown passed that physical and will participate in the team’s voluntary practice.
Taylor asked Brown about his current relationship with Hurts, who also is the godfather of Brown’s daughter, Jersee.
“Not as close as we once were,” Brown said. “I believe that’s fine. There’s no bad blood. There’s actually still a lot of love. I love him to death. I want him to succeed and accomplish all the things that he wants to accomplish.
“I didn’t truly understand why our friendship became the center of everyone’s attention when it comes to football. Because looking back on it, we haven’t been as close as we were for a couple years now. But that didn’t stop anything. We still competed, we still pushed each other, we still led the team. It was just kind of strange. People got so fixated on our relationship.
“Im’a say it to you, Im’a say it on camera, I have nothing but love for him. I want him to do well and accomplish everything that his heart desires.”
Brown acknowledged that there was no particular incident that led to the shift in the relationship.
“Nothing happened, people just grow apart,” Brown said. “Nothing happened between me and him, or our families, wives, anything. Nothing like that ever happened. Life happens and you just look up sometimes and you just, you find yourself drifting away and that’s fine. And I think both parties accepted that.”
Brown and Hurts were teammates for the last four seasons after the Eagles acquired Brown from the Tennessee Titans in April 2022 for first- and third-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. The two went on to compete in two Super Bowls, winning one.
Brown’s time with the Titans was spent under Vrabel, who spoke about the Patriots’ new acquisition on Tuesday.
“He loves football. He has a physical skill set. I think he has great body control and can be strong at the catch point,” Vrabel said of Brown. “He’s been a productive, consistent player.”
Brown, who turns 29 on June 30, is a three-time Pro Bowler who was selected second-team All-Pro with the Eagles in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
He averaged 72.5 catches and 1,041 receiving yards in the past two seasons, compared to 97.0 and 1,476 in his first two seasons with Philadelphia. Brown has the two highest single-season receiving yardage totals in franchise history in 2022 (1,496) and 2023 (1,456).
Brown finished his four years in Philadelphia with 339 receptions for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns in 62 regular-season games (61 starts). He also had 28 catches for 334 yards and three TDs in eight playoff games (all starts) and a Super Bowl championship in the 2024 season.
