Eagles' A.J. Brown to Kevin Byard After Trade from Titans: 'You're a Winner Now'

A.J. Brown and Kevin Byard were reunited this week when the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Byard from the Tennessee Titans.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Brown said his message to Byard about joining the Eagles was "you're a winner now."

Brown and Byard were teammates with the Titans for three seasons from 2019 to '21. They had a lot of success with three consecutive playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2019 AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

It's hard not to see Brown's message to Byard as a dig at his former team. The two sides had a contentious separation after the 2021 season when Brown wanted a new contract as the market for wide receivers had exploded with Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs all signing deals for more than $100 million.

The Titans opted to trade Brown to the Eagles in exchange for picks No. 18 and 101 in the 2022 NFL draft. Philadelphia signed the star wide receiver to a four-year, $100 million extension.

Then-Titans general manager Jon Robinson told reporters after the trade the gap in money between what they were offering and what Brown wanted "was really too far for us to bridge."

Things have worked out great for the Eagles since Brown arrived. He set career-highs in receptions (88) and receiving yards (1,496) and tied his career high in touchdown catches (11) last season.

So far in 2023, Brown ranks second in the NFL with 809 receiving yards.

Byard, who rejected a pay cut from the Titans in the offseason, now gets the opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl this season with an Eagles team that is 6-1.

The Titans, meanwhile, are in last place in the AFC South (2-4) and apparently going to use a two-quarterback system with Will Levis and Malik Willis sharing duties since Ryan Tannehill is unavailable due to a sprained ankle.