A.J. Brown barely made any impact on the stat sheet in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, but the star wide receiver says all of the narratives he heard about his performance were bogus.
Brown had just one catch for 8 yards in the Eagles’ 24-20 win over the Cowboys last Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. His lack of involvement left some wondering if he was fighting through some sort of injury, but Brown says that was not the case.
Brown responded to his critics during an interview with Jordan Schultz that was released on Wednesday. He spoke about the way he impacted Philadelphia’s Week 1 game without catching passes. The Pro Bowl wideout did, however, admit that it is “tough” to not have balls being thrown his way.
“I know I’m in the game because the coverage is being rotated to me every single play. Even if it’s underneath to Dallas Goedert or Jahan (Dotson) getting his one-on-one opportunity and making the big grab on the post, that’s how I know I’m still in this game and still effecting this game,” Brown said. “Regardless of if I’m touching the ball or not, I’m still making an impact on the game. As a receiver, it is tough because you want to touch the ball and you want to feel like you contributed. That was tough, but I try to do a really good job of staying locked in and staying ready.”
Brown then admitted he has seen the talk online about him being a “decoy” or no longer able to separate from defensive backs.
“I’ve seen a lot of stuff on the internet — I have zero separation, I’m hurt, I’m a decoy, all that. None of those things are true,” Brown said. “I got zoned the entire game. I didn’t get one single man route, so obviously there won’t be any separation. I’m not hurt and I wasn’t a decoy. It’s just kind of how the game went.”
#Eagles WR AJ Brown tells me he has seen all the crazy tweets and overreactions about his 1-catch game in Week 1:
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 11, 2025
“None of those things are true. I got zoned the entire game. … Just know I’m excited for Week 2.” pic.twitter.com/2kDvl11CRT
Brown’s production was down last season, which is part of the reason some fans wonder if the 28-year-old has lost a step. After having more than 1,400 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons with the Eagles, Brown caught 67 passes for 1,079 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2024.
Of course, the Eagles became much more run-heavy last season with Saquon Barkley. That is the biggest factor in why Brown has seen a decrease in statistical output.
There were some rumors during the offseason that Brown might be traded, but the Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl win and know how valuable their star receiver is to their offense. Brown will have much bigger games going forward.
If anything, it is a good sign for Philadelphia that they can win a game against a divisional opponent without getting much from Brown.
