A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
A.J. Brown didn’t say a word to reporters after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 4.
But hours after the game, the All-Pro wideout posted the following Bible verse from Mark 6:11 on his Instagram page:
“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
Hmmm … that kinda feels more like frustration dressed up as stoicism than anything else. Coming on the heels of a two-catch, seven-yard afternoon despite nine targets, the message set off the inevitable alarms: Is one of Philly’s most important players unhappy with his role in the team’s 4-0 start?
Considering what he posted after the team’s Super Bowl win, it’s fair to wonder whether Brown is genuinely happy in Philly.
Nick Sirianni Responds to Brown’s Latest
AJ Brown
GettyEagles WR AJ Brown may want to cool it with the cryptic social media posts.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni tried to pour water on the fire Monday, saying he doesn’t question Brown’s commitment and believes he wants to be in Philadelphia. The head coach framed the cryptic post as a competitor’s itch to contribute more — a fair interpretation.
“A.J. is very important to this football team., Sirianni said on September 29, via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I know he wants to contribute. I know he wants to contribute and do the things that he’s capable of doing. He wants to contribute to these wins. And he’s had a couple games where he hasn’t been able to for different reasons of why we haven’t in these games. But I question nothing about his desire to play great football, his desire to be a good teammate, his desire to be here.”
If Brown’s recent social media antics felt familiar, it’s because they were. After the Eagles throttled the Chiefs to win Super Bowl 59 in February, Brown’s Instagram reflection was startlingly candid, and took many off guard.
Here’s what Brown posted on Instagram after the Eagles won:
I tried to feel how everyone made it seem to be a champion and unfortunately it was short lived.. Two days to be exact lol.. I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all. It wasn’t. My thrill for this game comes when i dominate. It’s the Hunt that does it for me. It’s when the Db drops his head and surrender because he can’t F with me. The intense battles. Early mornings. Late nights. Sacrifices. I love putting smiles on people’s faces, don’t get me wrong, but it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. It’s the journey that I love the most.
After his apparent dissatisfaction during his team’s 4-0 start, those previous comments began making the rounds once again on social media:
Looking back on AJ Brown’s post on IG after the Super Bowl: “I tried to feel how everyone made it seem to be a champion and unfortunately it was short lived.. 2 days to be exact lol.. I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all. It wasn’t. My thrill for this game… pic.twitter.com/DjTEQgrArY
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) September 29, 2025
So What Do A.J. Brown’s Social Media Posts Ultimately Mean?
Brown just wants the ball more, but he might want to find better ways to channel his frustrations in the future. Through four games this year, he has just 14 catches for 151 yards and a TD, but his team is currently one of two undefeated squads left in the league. If he causes friction or continues with the “me-first” stuff, it could affect Philly’s team chemistry.
The Eagles extended Brown on a three-year, $96 million deal last spring. The franchise-record 1,496 receiving yards he set in 2022 — and the two 1,000-yard season he followed that with in 2023 and 2024 — have him used to a certain level of production. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to produce at a high level. But Brown is a smart man. He likely knows exactly what he’s doing when he takes to socials to post cryptic stuff.
FWIW: A.J. Brown is extraordinarily media savvy. He often knows how what he says will be interpreted, and he knows how what he doesn’t say will be interpreted.
And he presumably knows that when he sends a tweet like he did after the game, it will become a big story.
I also… https://t.co/b37mrs1qrS
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) September 29, 2025
With the Eagles finding ways to win week by week, Brown’s social media antics likely won’t amount to anything. But if the Eagles start to lose, or he continues to create unnecessary drama, things could get a bit more testy in Philly.
Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore
