Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has confirmed that his relationship with former Eagles teammate AJ Brown changed before the wide receiver’s departure from the team.
In an interview with GQ published Tuesday, Hurts was asked whether he and Brown had grown apart. After initially mentioning that the situation had already been discussed publicly, Hurts was pressed for a response and said:
“I mean, clearly.”
The admission matches Brown’s comments from earlier this year. After Philadelphia traded him to the New England Patriots in June for future draft compensation, Brown said that he and Hurts were no longer as close as they had once been. The 29-year-old also made clear that there was no specific incident behind the change, explaining that people can simply drift apart over time.
“Nothing happened, people just grow apart,” he said when asked in June by NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor on the “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony” podcast. “Nothing happened between me and him, or our families, wives, anything. Nothing like that ever happened. Life happens, and you just look up sometimes and you just, you find yourself drifting away, and that’s fine. And I think both parties accepted that.”
The two former teammates had a close history. Hurts first hosted Brown during a recruiting visit when Hurts was at Alabama. After Brown joined Philadelphia, their relationship developed through offseason workouts, and Hurts eventually became the godfather of Brown’s daughter, Jersee.
Their connection also led to substantial production on the field. Brown spent four seasons with the Eagles after Philadelphia acquired him from the Tennessee Titans in April 2022. During that period, he recorded 339 receptions for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also produced 1,496 receiving yards in 2022 and 1,456 in 2023, the two highest single-season receiving totals in franchise history.
Philadelphia won the Super Bowl following the 2024 season, with Hurts and Brown playing pivotal roles during their four-season partnership. However, Brown became frustrated with his role in the offense, including his belief that he was not receiving enough targets against zone coverage. His frustration continued into the 2025 season, when he finished with 1,003 receiving yards, his lowest total during his four seasons with the Eagles.
Brown eventually requested a change of scenery, and Philadelphia traded him to New England in June. Although Brown said he had not spoken with Hurts since the trade during the Patriots’ joint practices with the Eagles, the two were later seen catching up and sharing a hug during the second practice.
Hurts’ comments now provide a direct confirmation that the friendship had changed, even though both players have indicated that no single event caused the separation.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has confirmed that his relationship with former Eagles teammate AJ Brown changed before the wide receiver’s departure from the team. In an interview with GQ published Tuesday, Hurts was asked whether he and Brown had grown apart.