Eagles' A.J. Brown embraces his role: 'I'm OK with being whatever bad guy I have to be for the city'

PHILADELPHIA -- There was a infinitesimal successful A.J. Brown's much-discussed media convention pursuing the Eagles-Carolina Panthers crippled successful Week 14 erstwhile it looked arsenic if he astir collapsed character.

He had conscionable said "passing" was the rumor connected discourtesy -- a terse consequence that would later beryllium perceived arsenic a changeable astatine backmost Jalen Hurts, astir notably by teammate Brandon Graham.

A newsman past asked really difficult it was for a receiver to get into a hit erstwhile the discourtesy was not passing the shot much.

"Incredibly tough," Brown said pinch a consecutive face, earlier looking distant and letting retired a grin and suppressing a laughter that didn't lucifer the expected seriousness of his remarks.

As the play raged complete the ensuing days and Brown's merits arsenic a teammate were debated by various pundits, he changed his Instagram floor plan photograph to an image of the Joker from the movie "The Dark Knight."

Brown didn't expect the type of firestorm ignited by his original comments, but he did admit past week that his words were intentional, designed to displacement the attraction to the slumping walk crippled truthful it could beryllium fixed earlier it was excessively late. It's portion of his unique activity style that has led to him being misunderstood publically but appreciated by his peers internally complete his two-plus years pinch the Eagles.

"I'm OK pinch being immoderate bad feline I person to beryllium for the city, the town, immoderate the lawsuit whitethorn be," he said, "to clasp everybody accountable, beryllium accountable, and to get better. If I'm that feline I will beryllium that guy, gladly."

The scrutiny from the extracurricular helped spark what chap receiver DeVonta Smith said were a batch of "tough" and "uncomfortable" conversations starring into past week's crippled against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown said of other meetings betwixt players and coaches that emphasized improving specifications and connection successful the passing game.

The results couldn't person been much clear: After 3 consecutive weeks of being held nether 180 yards done the air, Hurts went 25-of-32 for 290 yards and a brace of touchdowns successful a 27-13 triumph complete Pittsburgh, marking the Eagles' 10th consecutive victory. With concerns complete the aerial onslaught mostly alleviated, Philadelphia appears group up arsenic good arsenic immoderate squad successful the NFL to make a tally astatine a championship.

Brown is not awkward astir wanting the ball, and his comments surely seemed to thief him to that end: aft only 4 targets against the Panthers, he received a season-high 11 targets against the Steelers, starring to 8 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.

But the statement successful the locker room is that his desire to beryllium progressive is linked to his belief that it helps springiness his squad the champion chance of winning.

He has a beardown argument. The Hurts-Brown relationship is No. 1 successful the NFL this play successful yards per target (12.1), compared to an mean of 7 yards erstwhile Hurts targets the remainder of his playmakers, per ESPN Research. Hurts' QBR jumps from 58 to 96 erstwhile throwing to Brown, while the first down complaint goes from 33% to 59%.

The stat that shows Brown's effect the astir is that the Eagles are 10-0 pinch him successful the lineup compared to 1-2 successful the games he sat retired earlier successful the play because of a hamstring injury.

"A.J. is 1 of the champion group we person connected this team. Just cognize he profoundly cares astir being a awesome shot player. I cognize he profoundly cares astir his teammates. And I get to spot that connected a regular basis," coach Nick Sirianni said.

"A.J. has been phenomenal since the time he stepped ft onto this team. Man, I deliberation the measurement he's played elevates everybody. The measurement he plays shot elevates everybody."

Saquon Barkley precocious said Brown was the champion subordinate connected the squad during a lighthearted interview pinch Graham's daughter. When he was pinch the New York Giants, Barkley and backmost Daniel Jones utilized to watch movie of Brown and talk astir his elite hands, noting really the shot "doesn't move astatine all" erstwhile successful Brown's grasp.

"He's a freak of nature," Barkley said. "He weighs the aforesaid arsenic me, he's bigger than maine and he tin move for illustration me. I conscionable can't tally routes for illustration him.

"I deliberation he's a awesome leader. That's thing that you don't cognize stepping into the door, maine evidently being the caller feline here. ... Obviously wide receivers mightiness person a preconceived conception of really group position them, but our narration and the measurement he comes successful here, you can't perceive nary 1 successful this locker room opportunity thing antagonistic astir that guy."

It's debatable whether Brown's displays of vexation -- intentional aliases not -- are ever productive. There were respective moments past play erstwhile he was animated connected the sideline aliases fto his consternation complete inefficiencies successful the discourtesy lead to mediocre assemblage connection connected the field.

As the play started going sideways toward the extremity of 2023, he'd sometimes show his discontent successful media sessions, the measurement he did aft the Carolina game, and sometimes he'd diminution to speak altogether, nether the rule of "if I person thing bully to opportunity I'm not going to opportunity thing astatine all." That each helped substance the emotion that each was not good wrong the NovaCare installation walls.

In this case, it appears his strategies were the changeable successful the limb this discourtesy needed arsenic the 12-2 Eagles cogwheel up for what they dream is simply a agelong postseason run.

"I don't deliberation we spot him arsenic a bad guy, we spot him arsenic a leader," Smith said erstwhile asked astir Brown's comments connected playing that role. "He has a 'C' connected his thorax for a [reason]. He has each correct to clasp group accountable."

Added Brown: "We're not successful it for feelings. We're not successful it trying to clasp everybody's hand. ... We're trying to clasp up a Lombardi Trophy. That's the extremity goal. So who cares if [the public] wants to rotation it and comprehend maine arsenic a bad guy, that I'm throwing personification nether the bus, who cares? It's astir what we're trying to do astatine the end."