Eagles' A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts Reportedly 'Not That Close' Amid Offensive Struggles

A.J. Brown's frustrations with the Philadelphia Eagles' offense through four games is hardly breaking news at this point, but the dynamic between the star wideout and quarterback Jalen Hurts may not be as warm and fuzzy as it once was.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, "Brown and Hurts have a long history. High school and college friends turned NFL teammates, Hurts is the godfather to Brown's daughter, Jersee. A former teammate once described them as 'an old married couple,' but I'm told they're not that close these days. Like any friendship, life happens. Family responsibilities, the grind of being pros, shifting priorities. They're friendly, but as one Eagles player described it: 'It's functional, professional.'"

The 28-year-old Brown has just 14 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown through four games on 28 targets, and has basically been a non-factor in three of the team's four games. That seemed to boil over on Sunday after nine targets only resulted in two receptions for seven yards, with Brown taking to social media to blow off some steam (and later apologizing for doing so).

There's no doubt that the Eagles need to be better at generating quality opportunities for Brown, the team's most talented playmaker outside of running back Saquon Barkley. But there were a few raised eyebrows after Sunday's social media post, in part because the Eagles moved to 4-0 with a 31-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Brown doesn't realize how bad it could be," a league source told Russini. "You think if Howie Roseman is going to eventually trade him, he's going to send him to a team with some elite quarterback? Think about how much worse it could be. Respectfully, (Brown) could still be on the 0-4 Tennessee Titans. Life is good in Philly."

Granted, the Birds need to find a way to better incorporate him into the game plan, and that may not fall solely on new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo or head coach Nick Sirianni.

"Don't let Brown tell you he isn't getting enough targets," a rival coach told Russini. "It's not about the quantity. It's about the type of targets and the situations he's in. That's why he's frustrated."

That part falls at least partially falls on Hurts, who has been fantastic at generating offense with his legs this season (179 rushing yards, four touchdowns on the ground) and limiting turnovers (no interceptions) but hasn't pushed the ball down the field as much as in seasons past.

The Eagles' formula dating back to last season has been to run the ball, win the turnover battle and lean on a strong defense. It has worked—the team has won 20 of its past 21 games, including last year's run to a Super Bowl title. But the run game hasn't been quite as effective this year and the defense lost several quality contributors in free agency, so it may behoove the Eagles to tinker with the formula.

They have quite the explosive element in Brown. Patullo and Hurts need to be better at adding him to the mix. Brown and Hurts may not be as chummy as in the past, but that's not nearly as important as getting the on-field chemistry right.