Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts wants to minimize distractions, but that won't stop the team's main concern.
The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the strangest defending Super Bowl champions you will see. They are in first place in the NFC East at 7-2. They own victories over the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers.
And yet, there is a whole lot of concerning drama surrounding the team that could ultimately derail them come playoff time.
Following the Eagles' 10-7 win over the Packers this past Monday, wide receiver A.J. Brown expressed more frustration after logging just two catches on three targets. It started with Brown calling things a "[expletive] show" during a Madden stream with Janky Rondo. Then, on Wednesday, Brown ranted about Philadelphia's offense once again.
Jalen Hurts decided to try and squelch the flames while speaking to reporters himself, saying that further talking about the Brown issue only increases the distractions.
Hurts is right. The more we focus on Brown and his gripes, the more it will hurt the Eagles' locker room dynamic. But that still won't make the root of the problem go away.
Brown said himself that he does care about winning. He just wants to be a part of it, which is entirely understandable. Being a spectator is certainly not the same as being involved, regardless of what platitudes you want to use.
And while it's not like Brown has been twiddling his thumbs through the first half of 2025, he certainly has not been his usual self, having logged only 31 catches for 408 yards and three touchdowns in eight games (he missed one contest due to a hamstring injury).
Is Hurts the problem? Is it offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo? Has head coach Nick Sirianni not exerted enough control the situation?
Whatever the case may be, Brown is correct in saying that this style of the Eagles pulling rabbits out of their hats to win games won't work in January. They've been able to get by thus far, but at some point, they are going to slip up.
The question is whether or not Philadelphia's offense is even repairable this season, and you also have to wonder how much damage has been caused to the relationship between Hurts and Brown.
Hurts seemed like he wanted to throw Brown a bone on Philly's incredibly odd fourth-down play with under a minute left against Green Bay on Monday, attempting to reach him on a go route in the end zone only to have the ball batted away.
Sirianni swore he made the play call even though many — including fellow receiver DeVonta Smith — are under the impression that Hurts and Brown called it themselves.
Brown isn't making his unhappiness a secret. He is actively broadcasting it. He hasn't thrown anyone in particular under the bus, but it's hard not to read between the lines.
At this point, it's looking more and more like the three-time Pro Bowler is playing out his final days in Philadelphia. He is under contract through 2029, but an offseason trade feels inevitable.
Again, Hurts is right in that minimizing distractions is a key. But that won't fix the problems we are currently seeing the Eagles experience on the field.