It's been 2 and a half months since AJ Brown stopped being an Eagle. New England sent Philadelphia a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder for him on June 1, closing out months of reported frustration over his target share and putting an end to one of the more electric receiver-quarterback pairings in football. So when the Patriots and Eagles lined up for joint practice this week, it wasn't just another training camp session — it was the first real look at Brown and Jalen Hurts sharing a field since the breakup.
A packed crowd of Eagles and Patriots fans crammed the practice field sideline for the joint session, phones up, signs out.
Barstool's crack about the joint practices doing "irreversible damage to the Eagles' PR" is obviously a bit — nobody's reputation collapses over a training camp rep — but it captures the vibe. Every snap of this practice was going to get read as a referendum on the split, whether that was fair or not.
For most of the day, Hurts and Brown played it cagey. Hurts dodged questions about seeing his old No. 1 target in a different jersey, saying only "Got a lot of love for him," and admitted he hadn't caught up with Brown on the sidelines yet. Brown, for his part, said he hadn't spoken to Hurts at all since the trade — outside of both of them showing up to DeVonta Smith's wedding a few days after the deal went down. That's a long stretch of silence for two guys who used to lead an NFC contender together.
Hurts and Brown were caught hugging and talking on the practice field in front of the Patriots facility, ending the radio silence.
Then it actually happened. Cameras caught the two hugging it out and chatting near the Patriots building, the first real, human moment between them since the trade split up a receiver room that had produced three straight playoff runs. It wasn't a long exchange, but after weeks of both guys deflecting reporters, just seeing them talk was the story.
None of this is shocking given how the split actually went down. Brown spent 4 seasons in Philly after coming over from Tennessee, racked up over 4,300 yards and made 3 Pro Bowls in an Eagles uniform, and was central to a Super Bowl-winning offense. The frustration that led to the trade was reportedly about touches, not beef with Hurts specifically — Brown has said the two are simply "two alphas" who push each other and occasionally clash, which is a normal byproduct of chasing greatness, not a feud.
On the field, Brown made his point without saying a word — he reportedly hauled in all 6 targets thrown his way in seven-on-seven work, including a deep completion against Eagles corner Riq Woolen. New England didn't just get a receiver in that trade; they got a guy still playing like he's got something to prove to his old building. Whatever's left unsaid between him and Hurts, this joint practice at least got them back in the same conversation.