After A.J. Brown's trade to the New England Patriots, the star wideout downplayed any potential animosity toward the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles agreed Monday to trade Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection. The move confirmed months of speculation linking New England to the three-time Pro Bowler.
Brown said no single event or incident made him decide he was ready to leave Philadelphia.
"It wasn't a specific moment, I would say. I think just at the end of the season, I just realized that I felt like my time was up," Brown told Maria Taylor on the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast.
The 28-year-old posted 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns over four seasons with the Eagles. He was a key part of the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX roster.
Brown said he spoke with his agent after the season but didn't provide a wishlist of potential destinations. He admitted he's still coming to grips with his departure from the Eagles.
"Still processing that," Brown said. "I really took time this week to really grieve and really process my emotions around it. I'm (going to) miss this place. I'm (going to miss) my teammates. Miss the environment."
Brown also discussed his relationship with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. The two initially grew close after Hurts tried to recruit Brown to Alabama.
"Not as close as we once were. I believe that's fine," Brown said. "There's no bad blood. There's actually still a lot of love. ...
"I didn't truly understand why our friendship became the center of everybody's attention when it came 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."
Hurts said last week at OTAs that his relationship with Brown was "really good," according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro.
The relationship between Brown and the Eagles began to deteriorate during the 2025 season. He made multiple cryptic posts on social media and called out the team's offense.
Brown said he was "just wrong" in the way he handled things on social media. However, he stated that his comments to the media were strategic and intended to motivate his teammates.
"Nothing I ever said was for personal gain," said Brown. "It was always to help this team win. Try to be our better self."
Brown described being traded to the Patriots as a "dream come true." He'll reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel, who served as his coach with the Tennessee Titans from 2019-21. The Titans traded Brown to the Eagles for a first- and third-round selection in April 2022.
Vrabel had remained in contact with Brown throughout his career and sent a simple message after the Patriots traded for the receiver.
"Get open and catch the ball," Vrabel's text said, according to Brown.
