A.J. Brown has caused quite the stir with his latest social media activity, which has put Eagles fans on edge.
The dynamic Eagles receiver had fans buzzing on Thursday when he changed his X and Instagram profile pictures to a photo of Patriots legend Tom Brady. The picture captures Brady in his iconic No. 12 blue Patriots jersey.
In today’s hyper-analyzed world, such a move is scrutinized to the smallest detail – especially with the 2024 NFL Draft approaching and the Patriots seeking offensive playmakers.
In a now-deleted tweet, Brown explained that he was simply showing admiration for the future Hall of Famer.
“TB12 is my favorite player ever,” Brown shared on Twitter.
“I watched the dynasty and it brought back memories from my childhood. Look up what he did in 2015 when he was doubted/disrespected. Yeah, I see the disrespect. Motivated … yes. That’s it.
“I didn’t think changing my profile picture to the greatest ever would cause controversy. Take Care.”
This explanation makes sense given Brown‘s disappointing end to the season, scoring only once in the final eight games and surpassing 100 yards just once in the last nine contests. He was absent from the Eagles’ wild-card loss to the Buccaneers due to injury.
The disappointing finish to the season prompted speculation about the future of Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and sparked trade rumors involving Brown.
It’s worth noting that Brown declared himself a “big Patriots fan” in 2020 and believed New England would draft him in 2019, only to see the Patriots select N’Keal Harry instead, a move that Brown described as devastating.
But the timing of Brown‘s social media activity is noteworthy.
The Bills recently traded Stefon Diggs to the Texans, and just two years ago, the Eagles acquired Brown from the Titans in a draft-day trade.
Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf mentioned that the team has been discussing potential wide receiver trades with other teams, according to NESN.
Despite these speculations, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Eagles are not interested in trading Brown, and the Patriots have inquired about his availability.
“Philadelphia has received inquiries about A.J. Brown,” Breer stated on NBC.
“They have turned them all down and informed other teams that he is not on the market.”
