Brown, Hurts reunite briefly amid post-trade rift

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  Tim McManusAug 20, 2026, 02:28 PM ET

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  Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts caught for a few minutes up after practice Thursday -- a notable development after the Patriots receiver revealed Wednesday that the former teammates had not spoken since he was traded to New England by the Eagles in June.

Brown and Hurts greeted each other warmly on the visitors practice field and smiled as they spoke out of earshot of reporters before shaking hands and going their separate ways.

The two have a long history together, dating back to when Hurts hosted Brown on a recruiting trip when he was at Alabama. They would work out together in the offseason and grew so tight that Hurts became godfather to Brown's daughter, Jersee.

They teamed up for four fruitful seasons in Philadelphia that included back-to-back 1,400-plus receiving seasons for Brown and a Super Bowl championship after the 2024 season.

Brown, however, expressed his desire for a change of scenery with the Eagles front office following a frustration-filled 2024 season, general manager Howie Roseman conveyed at the time. According to sources, Hurts was a factor in the receiver's frustrations, based in part on Brown not being targeted as much as he felt he should against zone coverage.

Brown let his unhappiness with his role in the offense be known on social media and in interviews during a 2025 season in which he posted 1,003 receiving yards -- his lowest totals in four seasons with the Eagles, and eventually got his wish to be traded.

"Honestly guys, none of that stuff even matters, man. You all should want to report something positive. You know asking the question is going to turn negative," Brown said Wednesday when reporters asked follow-up questions about Hurts. "So let's not get into that. Let's keep everything positive. It's love my way."

"I've got a lot of love for him and always have," Hurts said Wednesday, echoing Brown's sentiments.