Eagles' Graham: Hurts, Brown were friends but 'things have changed'
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham addressed the situation involving quarterback Jalen Hurts and receiver A.J. Brown, saying that the offensive duo's relationship isn't the same as it used to be.
The Eagles' passing offense - which struggled in the second half of the 2023 season - again hasn't been on the same page in 2024. With Hurts averaging just 200.2 passing yards per game this year, Brown and wideout DeVonta Smith said that Philly's passing attack isn't on the same page after Sunday's ugly win over the Carolina Panthers.
Brown was also visibly frustrated on the sideline during the matchup.
"The person that is complaining needs to be accountable. And I'm just being honest. He knows this," Graham recently said "The Brandon Graham Show." "I don't know the whole story but I know that (Hurts) is trying, and (Brown) could be a little better with how he responds to things. They were friends, but things have changed."
Brown joined the Eagles as part of a 2022 offseason trade and has put on a show with the team, catching 242 passes for 3,788 yards and 22 touchdowns in 44 appearances. Hurts - a two-time Pro Bowler - has established himself as one of the NFL's best dual-threat QBs, but he has limitations as a passer and has never thrown for over 4,000 yards or 25 touchdowns in a season.
The Eagles - owners of the league's most efficient and explosive rushing attack - rank 14th in EPA/dropback in 2024.
"We have to make sure that we don't let the personal get in the way of the business, and that's what we gotta do better as of right now because we know it's an issue, everybody's saying some things, but we need to be able to talk things out as men. We need to let personal stuff go," Graham added.
"Most of the time it's just a conversation that just needs to be had, but the person with the problem gotta talk to the person other than others."
Graham clarified his viral comments about Hurts and Browns later Monday.
"I just assumed (about their friendship) and it made me out to look even worse because I had it all wrong and now people are going to run with that part," Graham explained, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.
"I made a mistake and I assumed that it was something that it wasn't. I just want to win so bad that I don't just want to use the media when we need to talk about something and we can fix the problem ourselves. I didn't add to it in a good light, so that's my bad."
He added: "I'm going to make sure I apologize to both of them."
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Monday that the team is trying to increase Brown's workload.
"A.J. is a great football player, and we always are trying to get the ball in his hands," Sirianni said. "There's no doubt because he's a great player. It doesn't always work as simple or as easy as that. There are other factors of things that they can take away - you're running the ball well, the situation in the game. There are a lot of factors that go into that."
The Eagles inked Brown to a three-year, $96-million extension in April. Hurts is signed through the 2028 season.
Graham - who's made 206 appearances for Philly - played 11 games this year before sustaining a season-ending triceps injury. The 36-year-old said in July that 2024 would be his last NFL season.
Despite its limitations in the passing game, Philadelphia has already clinched a playoff spot with an 11-2 record this campaign.