A.J. Brown Sets Record Straight on Rumored Rift With Eagles Coaches

A.J. Brown is tired of the rumors that there's a rift between himself and the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff. While some players are fine letting the rumor mill go to work, the gifted wideout doesn't want the situation to worsen so he decided to clear things up with the media after not speaking to them for nearly two weeks.

Brown told reporters on Wednesday that he isn't mad at head coach Nick Sirianni or anyone else on the coaching staff. Instead, he insisted that he and Sirianni "have a great relationship" and that he has "a ton of respect" for his head coach.

Brown adds that Sirianni's actions following the Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks are a big reason why the wideout respects his coach.

After a game-ending interception from QB Jalen Hurts against the Seahawks, Sirianni told reporters after the game that his plan was for the wideouts to draw a pass interference penalty. In reality, those words were from a coach who was trying to take the heat off his players, who were trying to freelance, per Brown.

"[The WRs] improvised and we went on our own and Nick came out and said, "I wanted to try and get a flag", or something crazy like that. He really made himself look like a fool for us. I have nothing but respect for him because not all coaches do that."

- A.J. Brown

And when asked about why he hasn't really spoken to the media after losing to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17, Brown had a simple answer: negativity. The 26-year-old playmaker clarified that he wasn't in the best mindset at the time and didn't want to add to the negative discussion that was already surrounding the team's recent shortcomings.

Brown added that DeVonta Smith's ankle injury played a role in his bad mood and that it had nothing to do with the coaching or play calling. Smith suffered his injury while blocking for RB Kenneth Gainwell in the fourth quarter and was spotted using crutches and a boot after the game.

After losing four of their last five games, time will tell if the Eagles can end the regular season on a high note against the New York Giants in Week 18. It's a big game for Brown, who is 50 receiving yards shy of breaking the Philadelphia record that he set last season (1,496).

As of Wednesday, the Eagles are 5.5-point favorites to beat the Giants on the road this Sunday, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

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