It seems like there is something new every day regarding A. J. Brown’s status with the Philadelphia Eagles, and potential movement to the New England Patriots. Sunday revealed new developments. Brown is not throwing with quarterback Jalen Hurts in off-site drills
There are other developments as a result of this. Faller indicated that Devonta Smith may now be the Eagles’ new top wide receiver. This would certainly be a change of pace for the offense. Brown was a key target for the Eagles last year, recording 78 catches for 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns. He averaged 12.9 yards per catch.
However, it sounds like all of that could be coming to an end in short order. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler laid out the details, as reported by Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells.
“I’m hearing the two have hit it off, and Jalen Hurts likes how Sean Mannion structures the offense, how he talks about how they’re going to attack things because it’s going to look different. It’s going to be more under center for Jalen Hurts, more play-action than he had done in the past. So, our sources have told us that he’s at times been reluctant to some of those changes but right he’s as open as he’s ever been to some of those. He’s also been throwing offsite with some of his receivers, DeVonta Smith, who’s his new No. 1, new veteran Elijah Moore. He’s been getting after it, trying to get ready for this new offense. Eagles are going to look a lot different in 2026.”
Smith has traditionally taken on the second receiver role during his time in Philadelphia. He had a tremendous season, recording 77 catches for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 13.1 yards per catch on the year, doing so on 113 targets.
Smith being the top receiver would be a bit of a throwback to his rookie year. The 2021 season saw him record 64 receptions for 916 yards. He started the season on a strong note, catching a touchdown pass as his first reception in the NFL against the Atlanta Falcons.1
Other memorable moments that year included week 10 against the Denver Broncos. He recorded his first career multi-touchdown game, tallying four receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
The Eagles acquired Brown before the 2022 season. However, Smith was still able to put together strong numbers. He recorded 95 receptions for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns. This included five 100-plus yard games. Some of his more memorable games that year included a 169-yard performance in week three against the Washington Commanders and a 126-yard performance in week 15 against the Chicago Bears.
Smith has shown the ability to be an explosive big-play receiver. Furthermore, he has also proved that he can be a top option in an offense. It sounds like he is taking on the role over the course of these off-field workouts. This will be something to monitor as the month of June gets closer. It could be a telling sign as to what the Eagles are planning to do for the upcoming season.
June 1 still seems to be the deadline for the Patriots to get anything done with Brown. Nothing has changed as far as the date is concerned. Now, it just seems like it’s a matter of waiting and hoping that a deal will get done. Brown is starting to distance himself from Eagles-related activities. One has to wonder if that is related to potential movement with the Patriots, or if it’s something smaller than that. Both teams have kept close to the best in regards to this entire situation, and it seems like June is when we will finally get a resolution on this.
Either way, it’s fair to say that the story has dominated the offseason news cycle. Now, it may be getting closer to its conclusion.
Danny Jaillet Danny Jaillet is a sportswriter with more than 15 years experience in the industry. He has been featured on Fox Sports, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports among others. He graduated from Worcester State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in writing. More about Danny Jaillet
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