Jalen Hurts just dropped a two-word bomb that cuts straight to the heart of his relationship with former teammate A.J. Brown: “Clearly.” The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback gave that blunt answer when Zach Baron of GQ Magazine asked him if he felt the same way as Brown about their friendship cooling off since Brown’s trade to the New England Patriots.
The Rift and the Rings
This isn’t some fresh revelation, folks. Back in June, Brown himself admitted on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast that he wasn’t as close to Hurts as they once were. It was already out there that the two hadn’t even talked since the trade, though they finally reunited a day later before a joint practice this summer. This hits different because these two weren’t just teammates, they were *tight*. Hurts is the godfather to Brown’s daughter, for crying out loud! They were together with the Eagles from 2022 to 2025, a run that included two NFC titles and a Super Bowl win. Brown absolutely tore it up for Philly, racking up 339 catches, 5,034 receiving yards, and 32 touchdowns in those four years, making three All-Pro Second Teams and two Pro Bowls, with over 1,000 yards in every single season. Hurts was right there with him, earning three Pro Bowls and even finishing second in the 2022 NFL MVP race. The Eagles went a scorching 48-15 in Hurts’ starts, with him accounting for 88 passing touchdowns and 50 rushing scores. They were a dynasty in the making!
“People Just Grow Apart”
So what happened? The 2025 season was a tough one for the Eagles. Their scoring dropped hard, from seventh in their 2024 Super Bowl year to 19th. Even though they still won the NFC East at 11-6, losing at home to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round stung. By the end of it all, Brown wanted a fresh start, leading to his trade to the Pats on June 1. Despite Hurts’ terse “Clearly,” Brown has been clear there’s no bad blood. He told Maria Taylor, “Not as close as we once were. I believe that’s fine. There’s no bad blood. There’s actually still a lot of love. I love him to death. I want him to succeed and accomplish all the things that he wants to accomplish.” Brown stressed there wasn’t one big incident, “Nothing happened, people just grow apart.” Hurts echoed that sentiment, at least somewhat, when pressed in the GQ interview, saying, “You can’t replace the greatness that we have achieved and the presence and the success that he’s had on the field, but we’ve got to go to work.”
It’s a new era for both the Eagles and the Patriots as the NFL season kicks off. Hurts has to prove he can still lead Philly’s offense to Super Bowl contention without his top receiver, showing that “getting to work” truly means moving forward. And Brown starts fresh in New England. It’s tough to see such a powerful duo and close friendship fade, but both stars seem ready to prove they can shine apart.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply