Jalen Hurts Reacts to AJ Brown's Comments on Relationship After Eagles-Patriots Trade

During an interview with NBC Sports' Maria Taylor on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast last June, New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown admitted that he was not as close as he once was to his old teammate, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Before a joint practice this summer, Brown also let it be known that he hadn't talked to Hurts since being traded, though they ultimately reunited one day later.

On Tuesday, an exclusive interview with Hurts via Zach Baron of GQ Magazine dropped. Baron asked Hurts numerous questions about Brown, including whether he felt the same way as Brown about their relationship, to which the quarterback responded: "Clearly."

The two have been very close in the past. In fact, Hurts is the godfather to Brown's daughter. The two were together on the Eagles from 2022-2025, winning a pair of NFC titles and one Super Bowl.

Brown enjoyed great success on the Eagles, amassing 339 catches, 5,034 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns in four years. He made three All-Pro Second Teams and two Pro Bowls. In addition, Brown accumulated over 1,000 yards in each of his seasons.

Hurts enjoyed great success as well, making three Pro Bowls and even finishing second in the Associated Press NFL MVP race in 2022. The Eagles went 48-15 in his starts, and he accounted for 88 passing touchdowns and 50 rushing scores.

The 2025 season was a bit of a trying year the Eagles at-large, though. Of note, Philadelphia went from seventh in scoring in its 2024 Super Bowl season to 19th in 2025. The Eagles won the NFC East at 11-6 but lost at home to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card round.

By the end of the season and into the offseason, it was clear Brown wanted a fresh start. And so that happened, as Philadelphia traded Brown to the Pats on June 1.

One day later, Brown's interview with Taylor was released. Although Brown said he wasn't as close with Hurts, it's clear he has love and respect for his ex-signal-caller.

"Not as close as we once were," Brown told Taylor (h/t Reuters). "I believe that's fine. There's no bad blood. There's actually still a lot of love. I love him to death. I ⁠want him to succeed and accomplish all the things that he wants to accomplish.

"I didn't truly understand why our friendship became the center of everyone's attention when it comes to football. Because looking back on it, we haven't been as close as we were for a couple years now. But that didn't stop anything. We still competed, we still pushed each other, we still led the team. It was just kind of strange. People got so fixated on our relationship.

"Im'a say it to you, Im'a say it on camera, I have nothing but love for him. I want him to do well and accomplish everything that his heart desires."

He also made it clear that there wasn't any one incident that led to the two growing apart.

"Nothing happened, people just grow apart," Brown said. "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."

As for Hurts, he was asked a few different questions about Brown during the GQ interview. A few of his remarks (and Baron's comments mixed in) can be found below.

"Hurts has a vague answer to my questions about Brown—'You can't replace the greatness that we have achieved and the presence and the success that he's had on the field, but we've got to go to work'—and, when pressed a bit, a slightly more nuanced answer. 'It's a game where we've all got to have a shared mission,' he says, when I ask what happened that things got to the point where Brown reportedly wanted to be traded. 'We all got to be in pursuit of the collective. And it's not something I can speak on from his behalf, but I can tell you my focus has always been to pursue the mission.'

"Unsurprisingly, given the fact that the two men had once been close, much scrutiny had fallen on their relationship. Brown, in the interview he gave after being traded, said the two of them had grown apart. I ask Hurts if he feels the same way. He responds with a single-word answer: 'Clearly.'"

Ultimately, both players are charting new paths.

Brown is the new WR1 in New England, which hopes to build off an impressive AFC Championship-winning season. He'll be working with Drake Maye, the NFL's runner-up to the MVP award.

Hurts is shepherding a new offense led by first-year offensive coordinator (and ex-NFL quarterback) Sean Mannion. DeVonta Smith is the team's new WR1, with first-round draft pick Makai Lemon looking to make an early impact as well.