New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown stated Wednesday that he has not spoken with his former Philadelphia Eagles teammate Jalen Hurts since his trade to the Patriots in March. The comments came during joint practices between the two teams in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
"No," Brown said when asked if he had communicated with Hurts since June. He added that he preferred to keep the conversation positive when discussing his former teammates.
"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 told reporters. "So let's not get into that. Let's keep everything positive. It's love my way."
Hurts echoed similar sentiments about his former receiver. "I've got a lot of love for him and always have," Hurts said.
Brown set two of the top single-season receiving yardage records in Eagles history, with 1,496 yards in 2022 and 1,456 in 2023. Philadelphia was eliminated in the wild-card round in January. At the time of the trade, sources indicated that Brown's frustration partly stemmed from Hurts and a perceived lack of targets against zone coverage.
Brown also made several social media comments and public statements during the 2025 season that suggested dissatisfaction with his role in the Eagles' offense.
Brown acknowledged that his chemistry with his new quarterback, Drake Maye, is still developing. "There's definitely been some challenges, but he's very special, and he makes my job a lot easier. Just learning how he sees the game and getting on the same page," Brown said about Maye.
Brown emphasized that he does not view the joint practice with the Eagles as a moment of closure. "It's love. I won a Super Bowl ring with them. It will always be love no matter how anyone feels. I love Philly and I will always love Philly but I'm here now," he said. "That's where my feet are and that's what I'm focused on."
The Eagles will open their regular season on September 13 at home against the Washington Commanders. The Patriots will begin their 2026 season on September 9 on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.