Hurts addresses A.J. Brown trade as Eagles install new offense

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has spoken publicly about wide receiver A.J. Brown’s trade to the New England Patriots for the first time since the move became official, saying what the pair achieved in Philadelphia “can’t be taken away.” Hurts shifted his message toward what comes next for the Eagles as they begin a new offensive phase. Officials said Brown was traded on June 1 for a future first-round pick and a future fifth-round pick.

Hurts and Brown were teammates for four seasons in Philadelphia, a run that included four playoff appearances. Hurts described the move as part of the NFL’s constant roster turnover and said his focus remains on the group’s “collective” goals as the roster changes.

Brown recently said his relationship with Hurts is not as close as it once was, while adding there is still “a lot of love” between them. Hurts said he was not in a position to challenge anyone else’s perspective and returned to his responsibilities inside the building.

The trade lands at a moment of transition for an Eagles offense that is also learning a new scheme. Hurts said the spring work was about laying a foundation and preparing for the next stage of the offseason.

What Philadelphia produced with Brown in the lineup

During Brown’s four years with the Eagles, the team reached the postseason every season, including two trips to the Super Bowl and a world championship, officials said. Brown’s production also defined those years: he set a career high with 1,496 receiving yards in 2022 and followed it with another 1,400-plus-yard season the next year.

The passing offense was described as falling short of expectations over the past season-plus, and Brown was vocal about his frustrations during that stretch. Officials said Brown expressed early in the offseason that he wanted to be elsewhere, and the deal was completed at the start of June.

For Philadelphia, the immediate football question is how the offense maintains explosive output without one of its most productive receivers in recent seasons. Hurts will also have to adjust to a different distribution of targets as the receiving rotation reshapes in the weeks ahead.

New scheme under Sean Mannion adds another layer of change

Hurts is also navigating an offensive transition with the Eagles installing a new scheme under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. The learning curve showed during minicamp, when the passing game appeared out of sync at times.

Hurts said he was encouraged by the spring work and described it as a foundation-building phase while the team onboarded another new system. He and others expressed optimism about where the offense is heading as preparation continues.

The next checkpoint comes when Philadelphia returns for summer work, when the post-trade receiving rotation and the offense’s timing can be evaluated in more competitive settings.