Brown, Hurts reunite briefly after months of trade silence
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- A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts shared a brief, warm conversation on the visitors practice field after Thursday's joint practice in Foxborough, smiling as they spoke out of earshot of reporters before shaking hands and parting ways.
- Brown told reporters Wednesday the two had not spoken since the Philadelphia Eagles traded him to the New England Patriots in June.
- Their bond dates to Hurts hosting Brown on a recruiting visit at Alabama; Hurts is godfather to Brown's daughter, Jersee — a relationship spanning four Philadelphia seasons, back-to-back 1,400-plus-yard receiving years for Brown, and a Super Bowl title after 2024.
- Eagles general manager Howie Roseman acknowledged Hurts was a factor in Brown's frustrations, with the receiver feeling under-targeted against zone coverage; Brown's 2025 output fell to 1,003 receiving yards, his lowest across four Eagles seasons.
- Both men offered positive public comments Wednesday, with Brown telling reporters, "It's love my way," and Hurts saying, "I've got a lot of love for him and always have."
Why it matters: The brief, warm exchange defuses a storyline that had lingered since the June trade — a rift rooted, per GM Howie Roseman, in Brown feeling under-targeted in Hurts's offense. With Brown's 2025 production (1,003 yards) down sharply from his two prior 1,400-yard Eagles seasons, how he produces in New England's offense becomes the next benchmark against which that old frustration gets measured.
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