Eagles QB Jalen Hurts says he and A.J. Brown are ‘good’
Receiver is expected to be traded as soon as next week
Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/ypsnracu
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts tried to quiet the noise Wednesday.
The Eagles quarterback addressed speculation surrounding his relationship with wide receiver A.J. Brown, whose recent wedding and likely departure have fueled questions throughout the offseason.
Brown was not at voluntary OTAs and is expected to be traded after June 1, when the Eagles’ salary cap hit would be $10 million instead of $20 million.
Hurts was not at Brown’s May 16 wedding to Kelsey Riley at the Montage Laguna Beach resort in California. The absence drew attention because the two men have been close for more than a decade. Hurts is the godfather of Brown’s daughter.
Brown and his wife later shared photos from the ceremony on social media. The images quickly spread online, becoming another talking point in a month already dominated by trade rumors.
Hurts said there is no issue between him and the wide receiver.
“Nothing’s changed since we last spoke at the end of the season,” Hurts said. “We’re really good. I saw how beautiful the pictures came out at his wedding. I’m very happy for him, and his wife and his family, and it’s a beautiful thing to step into the Covenant. So I was very excited and congratulatory towards that.”
The comments came as Brown continues to be linked to a potential trade. The news conference was cut short for team activities before a follow-up inquiry about whether Hurts was invited to the wedding. Asked how a Brown trade would affect the offense, Hurts initially paused while taking a drink of water.
“Picked the right question to sip on, huh?” he joked. “I think for us, we are focused on learning the offense. There’s an ‘if’ — obviously, it’s been a lingering thing. But nothing can replace all the greatness that we achieved together.
“We’re really good,” he added again about their relationship.
The New England Patriots are the frontrunners to land Brown. The timing is notable because the Eagles will scrimmage against the Patriots in Foxboro, Mass., during training camp ahead of the teams’ preseason game Aug. 22.
New England, which lost last season’s Super Bowl 29-13 to Seattle, is already dealing with drama surrounding coach Mike Vrabel and his alleged affair with NFL reporter Dianna Russini. Vrabel missed part of the NFL draft to enter counseling.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.