PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown told reporters Wednesday that his relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts is good and that his "passing" comment after the Panthers' game was not directed at Hurts and was meant to express frustration with the passing game as a whole.
On Monday, veteran edge rusher Brandon Graham said that Hurts and Brown "were friends, but things have changed." Later that night, Graham told ESPN he wrongly assumed their friendship had changed because he interpreted Brown's "passing" comment as a direct slight against Hurts.
Hurts and Brown have downplayed speculation about a strained relationship, claiming that Graham misspoke about their friendship. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said on Friday that his players have not been distracted by the drama, and he doesn't believe there is any issue between Hurts and Brown.
Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan and other NFL analysts still believe Brown's "passing comment" was a criticism of Hurts and could negatively affect the Eagles' locker room. Now, they're questioning if Brown is a good teammate.
"It's one of these things, though. The team is winning nine straight games. Handle this in the locker room," Strahan said on the Fox pregame show. "Don't handle it in the public. And [Brown] set records ... three years ago. Saquon Barkley is setting records now. So offenses change. They evolve. Right now they're leaning on their run game and leaning on Saquon Barkley.
"It's working. He does deserve to get the ball. He's one of the best receivers in the league. But also you have to understand that you've got to fit, how you fit in, and you can't let your ego and numbers and stats get in the way of what the team is doing."
Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw is also concerned about Brown's mindset.
"No one has ever asked any of us up here: How many coaching games did you have? How many yards did you throw for? How many sacks? Everybody wants to know: How many rings?" Bradshaw said.
Through 14 weeks, the Eagles' passing offense ranks 31st in the league with an average of 180.6 yards per game.
After the Eagles' Week 15 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Hurts and Brown might have to answer more questions about their relationship, especially if the passing game continues to struggle.