A.J. Brown completely flips on Mike Vrabel shade and Jalen Hurts brotherhood three years later as Eagles-Patriots trade finalized
A.J. Brown badly wanted to be reunited with his old head coach Mike Vrabel. But did he forget what he said publicly about he and now ex-teammate Jalen Hurts just a few years ago?
A.J. Brown was officially traded June 1 to the New England Patriots to reunite with his form Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel in one of the most telegraphed trades in recent NFL history. The now former Philadelphia Eagles WR was shipped for a 2028 first round pick and a 2027 fifth round pick.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Patriots were tops on Brown’s list as he and Vrabel had kept a relationship since their time together in Tennessee from 2019-2021.
Brown had grown unhappy with his situation in many rumored ways as trade reports surfaced even before and into the 2025 season. The Eagles were fresh off a Super Bowl title and Brown was viewed as one of the game’s elite wide receivers.
The mystery of why Brown was so unhappy ranges from his usage and how he was targeted in the Eagles offense, a fractured relationship with either or both of Eagles QB Jalen Hurts or head coach Nick Sirianni, or a combination of anything that could be relatively believable. The fact is, we really don’t know.
Skip Bayless hinted at a “personal issue” between Brown and Hurts where the “fence never got mended” on Brown’s side.
The Patriots have been a heavily rumored trade spot for the All-Pro WR for many months, and even has been mentioned in the offseason scandal between Vrabel and former NFL Reporter from The Athletic Dianna Russini. Russini was seen as someone leading the reporting of Brown wanting out of Philly last fall and how Vrabel and the Pats were the ideal spot.
Whether Vrabel and Russini’s relationship had any involvement in that reporting, is also unknown. But what is known is how A.J. Brown has clearly changed his course on two relationships: Mike Vrabel and Jalen Hurts.
A.J. Brown flip-flops on Mike Vrabel, Jalen Hurts relationships from 2022 interview
On September 29, 2022 Brown joined Josina Anderson’s show The Crew NYC to discuss his feelings about is new team (the Eagles) and his old team (the Titans). Brown specifically called out coaching style of Vrabel in a negative manner, while propping up his relationship with Hurts as a brother and family.
“I definitely think it’s because of our friendship, number one,” Brown said of his hot start on the field with Hurts. “But most importantly, our mindset, how we approach the game, and we love the game, we want to get better. We never really bumping heads. We know we’re trying to get the job done. We’re gonna figure it out.”
“I love Tannehill,” Brown says of his Titans QB Ryan Tannehill, “but this (Hurts), is my brother, right here, you know, he’s family. He don’t even got to tell me he’s coming over to the house. He just shows up.”
With any relationship time creates opportunity for something to change. It’s clear it has, unfortunately.
After that answer, NFL receiver great Terrell Owens asks his fellow star wideout the difference in the two coaches between Vrabel in Tennessee and Sirianni in Philadelphia.
“Vrabel, I got a lot of respect for him, but he’s the (Bill) Belichick way,” Brown says referring to the old school Patriots way.
“Everything is locked in, you know, no fun over there, you know, get job done. Over here, (Sirianni) just let us have fun and do what we do. let us express our personality. I think that’s huge. You want somebody expressing themselves to be themselves, so the real them can show a game on the football field.”
In a matter of three years, September 2022 to September 2025 (when the Patriots-Brown trade interest reports started flowing), Brown has completely flipped how he views these two relationships.
Sometimes the grass is truly greener, as it was in Philadelphia compared to Tennessee. But sometimes you don’t realize how to keep your current grass green. That’s important too.