The Philadelphia Eagles had quite the unceremonious ending to their 2023 NFL season. They had begun the season as the hottest team in the league, winning 10 of their first 11 games and sitting at or near the top of practically all Super Bowl odds boards. They had an MVP candidate under center and plenty of weapons at his disposal, and the team looked primed for yet another run at an NFC Championship after defeating the Chiefs and Bills in back-to-back weeks.
NFL: Eagles Keep Siriani Despite Late-Season Collapse
“You just gotta be prepared… it’s a business.”
A.J. Brown on if he’s heard anything about being traded @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/kl1DFTHiCD
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) January 31, 2024
But things fell apart quickly, and in borderline embarrassing fashion. The Eagles went on to lose 5 of their final six games despite having one of the league’s softest schedules at the time, including defeats against teams already well out of the playoff picture like the Cardinals and Giants.
They made the playoffs, but had surrendered the NFC East title to the Cowboys, and were forced to play on the road during Wild Card Weekend. It was then that they were taken down by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, marking a brutal end to a season that held so much promise in the early going.
Some of the collapse has been attributed to unhappiness in the locker room. There was plenty of speculation after the season ended about whether head coach Nick Siriani’s job was in jeopardy, and whether reports of players wanting him fired were true or not.
Eagles Shoot Down AJ Brown Trade Rumors
: The #Eagles have absolutely no interest in trading away star receiver AJ Brown, a team source told @AllbrightNFL
“We’re not trading AJ Brown. We haven’t looked into it, we haven’t discussed it. We are not trading him. You can print that.” pic.twitter.com/NCElW1pVFQ
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) February 1, 2024
While Siriani will indeed be brought back for 2024, there are still rumors of displeasure amongst some of the biggest names on the roster.
One of the players that had been mentioned during the team’s collapse was AJ Brown. Certain signs pointed to the star wide receiver being disgruntled, from sideline incidents to social media happenings, and a rumor was released earlier this week that the Eagles were actually looking to trade the 5-year NFL veteran.
Not true, says the team. According to NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, a team source has said the following regarding the situation:
We’re not trading AJ Brown. We haven’t looked into it. We haven’t discussed it. We are not trading him. You can print that.
Brown spent the past two years with the Eagles after spending his first three with the Tennessee Titans. He played in all 17 games in 2023, and caught a career-high 106 passes for 1,459 yards, and scored seven touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career, and was a Second-Team All Pro for the second consecutive season.