The NFL saw a bevy of receivers traded during the 2022 NFL offseason, and one of them was A.J. Brown. The Titans dealt the fourth-year receiver to the Eagles on draft day, and the divorce between Brown and the Titans was a bit messy.
Brown, 25, posted numerous cryptic tweets ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft that confused fans and reporters alike. Then, reports surfaced that he was working out with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts days before the draft.
Ultimately, the Titans weren't willing to give Brown the deal he felt he deserves, so they acquired the 18th and 101st overall picks in exchange for Brown. The team then used the 18th pick on a potential replacement for him, Treylon Burks.
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Meanwhile, the Eagles signed Brown to the lucrative, long-term extension he desired. The deal is worth up to $100 million over four years.
However, despite the tension between Brown and the Titans during Cook's exit, he is trying not to hold a grudge toward Tennessee. He explained how he felt about the trade in a training camp interview with NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Thursday.
You know, it's a business, and I'm not upset about the trade or anything because it is a business or whatever. But to be honest, I just didn't appreciate how it all went down, and they just kind of blamed me for it. I'm man enough to say that, however people may take it. But I have no bad blood with Tennessee. I'm moving forward. I'm happy to be here. But (there are) a lot of things people don't know about, and they're just pointing fingers at me. But that's OK.
As Brown indicated, he is still a bit irked by the way the trade went down, and fans saw that firsthand on Monday when the receiver made an interesting point about the contract extensions given to DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin on Twitter.
Basically all 4 of us got the same contract and I’m the only one got traded… yeah keep believing it was me . Anywho Go Birds 🦅 #CarryOn
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) August 1, 2022
So, there appears to be at least a modicum of tension remaining between the Brown and the Titans. Still, as he said, he is looking to "move forward" and is doing that by forging a relationship with his new teammates.
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Brown already had a good relationship with Hurts before joining the Eagles. That was part of the reason he was working out with him during the offseason.
And so far, things between the two have been "great," by Brown's estimation.
"It's been everything I imagine," Brown told Pelissero. "We had discussions that when we're in the building, we're professionals. We're no longer friends. It's like an on and off switch. Once we leave, we're friends again, and we discuss real-life things and we talk."
We were asking #Eagles WR A.J. Brown about his new QB … and then Jalen Hurts crashed the party. @nflnetwork @shaunohara60 pic.twitter.com/fEDgQ9zvCw
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 4, 2022
Additionally, Brown and Hurts included second-year receiver DeVonta Smith in their pre-training camp workouts to ensure two things. The trio wanted to stay "sharp" and get on the same page entering the season.
"We tried to get together as many times as we can," Brown explained. "We knew our days were coming together before camp.
We just tried to work on the little things and try to come to camp looking sharp.
Soon, they'll get to see if that hard work pays off. The Eagles will play their first preseason game on Friday, Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Jets. Coach Nick Sirianni has yet to announce how much the starters will play — if at all — in that contest.