“Saquon Barkley ain’t the same player either then": A.J. Brown fires back at reporter for asking Eagles WR about dip in form amid locker room drama

A.J. Brown continues to have a downward spiral from his usual thousand-yard self in the 2025 season, catching just 38 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns in nine games so far. And he is getting tired of the constant prodding.

On Thursday, a reporter approached the Philadelphia Eagles' three-time All-Pro wide receiver with a question about popular speculation that he was "no longer the player that you once were." He responded by invoking a teammate:

“I guess (running back) Saquon (Barkley) ain’t the same player either, then.”

He also declined to address his simmering feud with Jalen Hurts, instead wanting to focus on Sunday's game at the Dallas Cowboys. He later added when asked if he paid attention to his peers like CeeDee Lamb:

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“No, it gets me upset. ... There's a time and place for it, but right now, I'm just trying to stay focused.”

Speaking of Hurts, former Eagles legend DeSean Jackson spoke up on tensions between him and Brown on his House of Action podcast:

“It’s something else going on. It’s not all about football – it’s not all about X’s and O’s.”

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A.J. Brown speaks up on Eagles' offensive progress as Super Bowl champions prepare for Dallas Cowboys

Despite his apparent decline in performance, A.J. Brown still believes the Eagles will eventually regain their offensive form. In the same media availability, he said:

"I think we are (close). I think that is the mindset to have. It's really just cleaning up those mistakes. It's not about being close, it's really just about finishing drives. The defense has been playing incredible and we're just trying to do our part and that starts with the things that take no talent, as (Nick Sirianni) says all of the time."

The team's offensive tribulations, however, apparently are not limited to him, if ESPN's Tim McManus is to be asked. During an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic's "Unfiltered" show on Thursday, he recalled seeing negativity among offensive players when he went to interview them inside the locker room on Wednesday:

“I spent the majority of (Wednesday) in the locker room talking to defensive players. There is a lot of joy amongst that group. There are such positive vibes going on in there. … And then when you talk to offensive players, it is different.”

Kickoff for the Cowboys-Eagles game is at 4:25 pm ET on Fox.

Edited by Andre Castillo