A.J. Brown’s performance at Gillette Stadium during the joint training camp practices has everyone talking, and not just in Foxborough. Over two days of intense work against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, there isn’t a single person present who wouldn’t agree Brown was the best player on the field. He flat out dominated one of the best secondaries in the NFL, even if it was outside of real game conditions.
Unleashed on the Field
This wasn’t just “good” A.J. Brown, this was “better” and “faster” A.J. Brown. He was an absolute beast, scoring touchdown after touchdown. The dude was eating Quinyon Mitchell’s lunch! Seriously, he hauled in a contested ball thrown behind him from Maye for a Patriots touchdown against Mitchell. That’s just one example of his three touchdowns on Mitchell alone! Brown used his elite speed, size, and hands to win every single rep you could imagine. He pulled in contested catches in tight coverage, used his agility to create space in the middle of the field, and showed off the kind of deep threat speed that made him one of the league’s best.
The Ghost of Last Season
Anyone who saw Brown play last year, especially as the 2025 season dragged on, probably wondered if this level of play was even still in him. Over his last four games, he averaged just 57.2 yards per game. It all culminated in a disastrous performance during the Eagles’ NFC Wild Card loss to the 49ers, a brutal 23-19 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field where he caught a measly three passes for 25 yards, had multiple drops, and even got into a screaming match with his head coach. Last season, Brown looked slower and less athletic, leading some to wonder if age, at 29, was catching up. After these two joint practices? Those thoughts seem absolutely ludicrous. He appeared worn out, tired, slower, and uninterested at the end of last year, just stopping winning those one-on-one battles we always expected him to win. There’s no doubt he was motivated to dominate against his old team this week. He clearly wanted to make sure Nick Sirianni and the entire Eagles organization knew exactly what they were missing. It’s a sad thought, but if Brown had shown this kind of fire during the end of what was a difficult year for Philly, you have to wonder if the Eagles would have made another long playoff run. The offense under Kevin Patullo was struggling, and it wasn’t all Brown’s fault, but the fire just wasn’t there.
This kind of fire, this level of play, it’s exactly what Patriots fans hope to see all season long. But for the Eagles, it has to sting, knowing what might have been if this A.J. Brown had shown up last year. They’ll be watching closely to see if this motivation translates when the regular season kicks off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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