Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is feeling way more comfortable in Year 2 under head coach Nick Sirianni.
Anyone following A.J. Brown on Twitter understands he’s not afraid to speak his mind. It’s an endearing quality that has quickly turned the newest Philadelphia Eagles star into a fan-favorite player. Brown’s honesty is appreciated in his new city.
So when a controversial report from a well-respected reporter started sullying Jalen Hurts’ reputation, Brown deemed it necessary to react. The Pro Bowl receiver wasn’t going to let what he called a “false narrative” continue to fester. Instead, Brown shot it down in the most hilarious way.
On Wednesday, Brown was asked about the incident and why he felt so strongly about defending Hurts. Number one, Hurts is his quarterback. Number two, Hurts is his friend. And there was a third reason: the story wasn’t true.
“False narratives come out about quarterbacks and this and that. Guys gotta understand that it’s practice,” Brown told reporters. “Just like today, there was an interception, it was a great play by the DB [defensive back]. You gotta understand, these are the times where we’re trying things. I’m not going to win every rep. He’s not going to make every throw. And that’s just a part of it.”
Jalen Hurts on showing up at 6:30 a.m. today to work with A.J. Brown: “That’s just the standard. We just put the work in and the work comes first. We take it day by day, try to prepare every day so we can attack every day.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Brown was referring to a spectacular play by Marcus Epps on the first day of training camp. The Eagles safety jumped a corner route in the end zone and picked off a pass intended for Dallas Goedert. Brandon Graham dropped another would-be interception, but that ball was tipped by Lane Johnson at the line of scrimmage. Hurts wasn’t at fault on that wobbly throw. No, the quarterback looked good on Day 1.
Jalen Hurts to AJ Brown
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Hurts Remembers Funny Conversation with Brown
Hurts started laughing when he recalled the way Brown defended him. The Eagles quarterback hadn’t even read the criticism as he picked up the phone to call his dear friend. Those two guys talk all the time, only when Brown answered the phone on this particular day, the topic shifted.
“I called AJ one random day. I call him all the time, we talk, and I said, whatcha doing? And he said … what did he say? He said, uh, uh … he said something like ‘I’m on Twitter talking trash, whatever,’ and I said what happened? And he said they talking crazy.
“And I said what happened? He said, ‘they talking about you.’ And I said OK, what did they say? He said some BS, you know, and just left it at that. I didn’t even know he did it, to be honest, just casual to me. But, you know, must have been a slow [news] day.”
Getting on the Same Page, Putting Work In
Hurts and Brown were the first players to show up at camp on July 27. They hit the field at 6:30 a.m. to get a quick throwing session in before practice. It’s something they’ll continue to do throughout the year as they “set the standard” in Philly. Teammates like DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Quez Watkins — everyone is invited, according to Hurts — are expected to join them in the future.
“That’s just the standard,” Hurts told reporters. “We just put the work in and the work comes first. We take it day by day, try to prepare every day so we can attack every day. Getting everything together so we can all be on the same page.”
“The work comes first.” –@JalenHurts