Quarterback Jalen Hurts is also a very important piece to the Eagles’ puzzle, and Brown believes he should remain that way for years to come.
A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with Jalen Hurts #1 after a 6-yard touchdown pass during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 27, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
If not, Brown wants another trade.
"I love Philly," he told the "Raw Room" podcast on Monday. "And what I’m about to say: You do not pay this man, just ship me off wherever he finna go."
When the Tennessee Titans traded Brown to the Eagles, he immediately signed an extension worth $100 million over the next four years.
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But extension talks regarding Hurts have been swirling even before he made the playoffs with the NFL’s best 14-3 record and ran through the competition there to get to Super Bowl LVII, where he threw for 304 yards with a touchdown and rushed for three with 70 yards on the ground in his best effort to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Hurts is under contract for next season, but he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after that. He’s done more than enough to show the Eagles that he is their franchise quarterback, but Brown called out GM Howie Roseman to get working on that new deal.
"Listen, so you’re talking about pressure? Howie, get it done," he said.
When you take a look at Brown’s stats this season, it’s hard to question his adamant nature regarding his teammate’s contract situation. Brown notched a career-high with 1,496 yards, which is an Eagles’ single-season record. He tied his career-high in touchdowns with 11 through the air and had the most receptions and targets by far in his career (88 and 145 respectively).
Jalen Hurts #1 and A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrate after defeating the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 4, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Eagles clearly valued Brown, knowing that him teaming with DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and others would create a dangerous pass attack as long as Hurts could be accurate and make the right plays.
He did just that.
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Could things change now that offensive coordinator Shane Steichen is the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach? Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is still in place, and knows the value that Hurts and Brown brings to the table. And while defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is also on to the next stage of his career as the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach, Philadelphia still has many of their studs on defense still under contract.
Hurts’ contract situation, though, will be a hot topic this offseason, as the Eagles certainly don’t want anyone else getting a whiff of a chance at signing him in free agency. Roseman and the front office have the upper hand right now and Brown wants them to capitalize on it.
"Obviously we want to keep our best players here for the long term and he’s certainly one of our best players," Roseman said Thursday, via The New York Post. "We’ll keep all contract talks internal, but we definitely would like to keep Jalen Hurts here long term."
Jalen Hurts #1 and A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles smile on the field after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship NFL football game at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
"I’m definitely gonna try to do everything in my power to stay with Jalen as long as I can — him and DeVonta," Brown added. "Me and DeVonta — we a good tandem. I’m definitely going to try to keep that going as long as I can. He is up and rising bro, on another level. At some point, he gonna be up. Definitely going to try to keep the team together, man, and try to win while we together."