A.J. Brown left one final mark on his way out of the Philadelphia Eagles facility, and it perfectly encapsulates everything that went sideways with this relationship. Brown reportedly stopped by the Eagles practice facility last week to say his goodbyes and collect his belongings. On the way out, he signed his picture on the wall with the message: “The best to ever play here, always open.”

Look, I’m grateful for what A.J. Brown did in Philadelphia. He was one of the best receivers to suit up for the Eagles. But he was only here for four seasons, and he essentially quit on this team. To sign the wall with that kind of message on the way out feels narcissistic and strange. It’s weird behavior, and it just makes me question a lot about who A.J. really is as a person.

The ‘AO’ chant that never was

I am fully convinced at this point that Brown, who was close friends with Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean, got jealous that the youngster had a chant from the fans. You know, the whole “Coop” thing. A.J. wanted everybody to go with that silly “AO” chant, and I’m glad they didn’t. I’m glad the fan base didn’t submit to it. Ultimately, I’m glad A.J. is gone.

Nick Sirianni shifts the tone at OTAs

Now, speaking of what’s actually happening with the team that is still here, let’s talk about head coach Nick Sirianni. He held press conferences over the last couple of days. Usually, you get a lot of word salad from Sirianni, but I will say he was a lot more intentional this time around. One message kept repeating throughout both pressers: We have to trust each other, we have to build relationships.

Sirianni even admitted that trust doesn’t have to look the same for every pair of teammates. He brought up a wedding example while discussing defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. He said sometimes building that trust looks like being friends off the field, going to each other’s weddings, hanging out at a restaurant. But he also acknowledged that some guys simply aren’t best friends, and that’s okay.

I completely agree with that framing. The reason everybody has the A.J.-and-Jalen situation in their heads is because Brown and Hurts were very close when the receiver first came to Philadelphia. They seemed like best friends. Hurts advocated for that trade. So when the relationship deteriorated, the fallout felt personal in a way that a normal roster move doesn’t.

What I find telling is that Sirianni doubled down on the trust theme several times across both press conferences. This wasn’t a passing comment. He kept hammering it. We have to build the relationships. We have to build trust first. We all have to trust one another. He even referenced the NBA to make his point, bringing up the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks as examples of teams that built chemistry and continuity because the players were genuinely close and trusted each other.

That kind of messaging feels deliberate coming off the A.J. Brown saga. Philadelphia dealt with a guy who aired grievances on Twitch, sent cryptic messages at youth camps, and signed the facility wall like he was autographing a farewell tour poster. Sirianni is clearly trying to set a different tone. Whether he can actually execute on that vision is another question entirely, and we’ve been down this road before with him. But the messaging itself? It’s the right messaging.

Yes, Brown can sign whatever he wants on that wall. He can call himself the best to ever play in Philadelphia. But the Eagles are building something bigger than one receiver’s ego, and Sirianni’s repeated emphasis on trust suggests he understands what actually holds a locker room together. Whether he can deliver on it is the question that will define the 2026 season. But for now, I like the direction. Simple as that.