Jalen Hurts Admits He and A.J. Brown Drifted Apart Before Trade
Hurts finally conceded the relationship cooled. Now Brown catches passes in New England — and both sit in our fantasy top-50 at their positions.
New team, fresh QB, and his last 5 games trended up over his 2025 average.
- Eagles traded Brown to Patriots in June 2026
- Brown: 339 rec, 5,034 yds, 32 TD in 4 Eagles seasons
- Brown 2025: 78 rec, 1,003 yds, 7 TD (220 PPR)
- Hurts 2025: 25 pass TD, 0 INT, 8 rush TD (315 PPR)
- Brown ranks #47 overall, #11 among WRs in our model
It finally spilled out. In a GQ interview published Tuesday, Jalen Hurts acknowledged what Eagles watchers had suspected for a year — that he and A.J. Brown weren't as tight in 2025 as they once were. He didn't volunteer it easily; the reporter had to ask twice. But Hurts conceded there was no surprise the rift became a talking point.
The backstory matters for your roster. Philadelphia traded Brown to New England in June 2026, and the wideout said last month he and Hurts hadn't spoken since — save for a brief catch-up after a joint practice. This is the same pairing that produced 339 catches, 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns across four seasons together, plus a personal bond deep enough that Hurts became godfather to Brown's daughter. That's a long way to fall.
What Actually Happened On The Field
Brown still put up numbers even as the relationship frayed. He posted 78 receptions, 1,003 yards and seven scores across 15 games in 2025 (actual), good for 220 PPR points. Hurts, meanwhile, was quietly excellent statistically — 3,224 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and zero interceptions over 16 games, plus 421 rushing yards and eight rushing TDs for 315 PPR points last season (2025). The frustration bubbled beneath a productive surface.
The friction reportedly started back in the 2024 offseason, when Brown grew unhappy with his role. The Eagles eventually granted his trade request, and now he's a Patriot. For fantasy, the split cuts two ways: Brown loses a proven quarterback, Hurts loses his alpha target.
The Fantasy Read
Our model has Brown at #47 overall and #11 among receivers, and his form actually ticked up late — his last five games of 2025 ran roughly four fantasy points above his season average. That's encouraging for a player changing zip codes. Hurts sits at #16 overall, #7 among quarterbacks, though his last five games dipped about 5.3 points below his own 2025 average.
Bottom line: treat Brown as a buy-low. A fresh offense and a hot finish outweigh the noise, and #11 at his position is a value if managers are spooked by the move. Hurts stays a rock-solid QB1 thanks to his rushing floor — hold him, but don't expect him to carry a WR corps the way Brown once did.
