Emotional A.J. Brown gets revenge against Titans, reveals why game was ‘personal’ for him

PHILADELPHIA — A.J. Brown kept peace with himself in the days leading up to Sunday’s showdown with the Tennessee Titans. Brown didn’t discuss the game much or give his former team any more ammunition for trying to stop him. 

The talking was done on the football field, as Brown showed his former team what they let go — in a move Tennessee didn’t necessarily have to make. Brown made the Titans pay, catching two touchdown passes of over 25 yards as the Philadelphia Eagles routed Tennessee at Lincoln Financial Field.

This was a game Brown had circled on the calendar, a reminder to the Titans what could have been for the next several years. 

“I wanted to retire a Titan. I tried to do everything in my power to remain a Titan,” Brown said after the win. “It’s a business, once again. In that situation I had to grow up. I just had to learn it was a business. I wanted to make them regret that decision. 

“It’s been personal since the trade. That’s where I wanted to be…Things didn’t work out. It was kind of like ‘here you go, we don’t want you anymore.’ You just kind of get pushed to the side. In that situation, I had to grow up.”

Brown finished with eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles, significantly more than the four catches for 41 yards the Titans wide receivers had combined. Treylon Burks, Brown’s replacement, did catch a touchdown pass in the second quarter, but left the game with a concussion he suffered on the play. Tennessee’s wide receivers were essentially nonexistent after that score.

Brown’s touchdown catches went for 40 and 29 yards. On the first score, Brown used a simple hitch-and-go route to beat Kristian Fulton to get wide open for the touchdown. Fulton tried to stop Brown with an illegal contact penalty, but Brown pushed him down and easily walked in for the score. 

On the second touchdown, Jalen Hurts found Brown with an incredible throw and catch as the Eagles wide receiver caught the pass in the corner of the end zone with Tre Avery smothering him in coverage. While the game was personal for Brown, he didn’t show up Fulton and Avery too much. 

“Today, I might have to give you this whoopin,’” Brown said with a smile. “But I still love you. That’s why the hug came in at the end.” 

Brown has been dominant with the Eagles this season, catching 61 passes for 950 yards and nine touchdowns. The Titans wide receivers in 2022? They have 90 catches for 1,204 yards and four touchdowns combined.

It’s clear as day that the Titans, one of the four division leaders in the AFC, could use a player like Brown to compete for the Super Bowl. Instead, Brown is on the Eagles — strengthening Jalen Hurts’ MVP case by the week. 

Hurts might understand better than anyone how much Sunday’s game meant to Brown. Like his best friend, he didn’t want to dwell on Brown getting revenge against his former team. 

“I think the whole world knew what it meant to him, based on who he is, how he is, and how he responds to certain things,” Hurts said. “I’m happy he put on a show. He’s a special player — real special player — and I know we make a big deal about it but hopefully we can move on now.”

Both Hurts and Brown are ready to turn the page. 

“I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say I circled this game,” Brown said. “I’m just trying to be consistent. I just kept my emotions down all week and focused what I need to focus on. Today, I let it all loose.”