Brown: Hurts helped make trade to Eagles happen

Wide receiver A.J. Brown thinks good friend Jalen Hurts had a lot to do with the Philadelphia Eagles trading for him.

Brown, who was acquired in a stunning trade during last week's NFL draft, said Monday he believes the quarterback was "putting a bug" in the Eagles' ear to get him.

The 24-year-old said their friendship began when Hurts tried recruiting Brown to Alabama, though Brown elected to go to Ole Miss. The possibility of playing together resurfaced during a workout earlier in the offseason.

"In the middle of the throwing session, Jalen said he's going to ask (the Eagles) to trade for me, and we were just laughing and joking. We had no idea that this would happen," Brown explained.

Hurts is entering his third season as Eagles quarterback and will have Brown in addition to 2021 first-rounder DeVonta Smith at his disposal.

"I see a guy who is talented, believes in himself, has a strong arm, he's on time," Brown said. He added, "I think the sky's the limit for him. I'm going to go to bat for him every Sunday."

Brown was rewarded with a lucrative four-year, $100-million extension with $57 million guaranteed upon landing with the Eagles. He pointed to low-ball offers from the Tennessee Titans as a factor in his departure but said Monday that he has no hard feelings about it.

"I appreciate the Titans for everything they did for me," Brown told reporters. "I have no bad blood with the Titans. They believed in me. They drafted me. They got my career started."

A second-round pick in 2019, Brown has recorded 2,995 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns over three NFL seasons. He joins an Eagles team that hasn't had a 1,000-yard wide receiver since 2014.