Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni recently revealed he approached owner Jeff Lurie to express his gratitude for opening up his checkbook for Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown, the No. 1 target of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
#Eagles HC Nick Sirianni says he went up to owner Jeff Lurie this past week and told him: “Thanks for the $100 million to pay AJ Brown. I really appreciate that.”
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 23, 2023
pic.twitter.com/ARJuj2ahFp https://t.co/kgL4kgxfiv
On Sunday night, Brown again ensured the Eagles got their money's worth.
With current NFL receiving yards leader Tyreek Hill watching from the opposing sideline, Brown torched the Miami Dolphins secondary for 137 yards and one touchdown in a statement win for Philadelphia.
Brown's performance not only boosted Philadelphia's win total to a league-best six, but also etched his name into the NFL record books. Brown joined ex-Detroit Lions wideout and Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson as one of only two players in history to record 125-plus receiving yards in five consecutive games.
AJ Brown ties the longest streak in NFL History
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 23, 2023
5 straight games with 125+ receiving yards#ProMindset | #NFLRebs pic.twitter.com/bARnGv6XVh
As Brown further solidifies himself among the elite talents in the NFL, his historic run serves as a reminder to the Tennessee Titans of their witless decision to trade the two-time Pro Bowler.
Through seven games, Brown ranks second to Hill with 809 receiving yards, putting him on pace for 1,964 receiving yards — which would match the all-time NFL season record held by Johnson. As for the Titans, their entire wide receiver corps has amassed 789 yards receiving in 2023.
The Titans have played one fewer game than the Eagles, but the sentiment remains that trading Brown was an all-time gaffe. Tennessee all but admitted its wrongdoing by firing general manager Jon Robinson mere days after Brown went off for eight reception for 119 yards and two touchdown catches against the Titans in a 35-10 beatdown last season. While a member of the Titans, Brown was mired in a contract dispute with team that led to the 2022 draft-day trade to the Eagles.
To make matters worse, Tennessee apparently has squandered the haul it received for Brown, which included the No. 18 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. With that pick, the Titans drafted Brown's replacement, Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks. Hobbled by injury for most of his NFL career, Burks has 39 receptions for 543 yards and one touchdown catch in 14 games.
Over Brown's past five games, he has 41 receptions for 701 receiving yards and three touchdown catches.
In wake of the Brown trade, Tennessee has tried to get by with a revolving door of veteran pass-catchers. In 2022, Robert Woods — now with the Houston Texans — failed to crack 550 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his decade as an NFL receiver. This year, DeAndre Hopkins (27, catches, 376 yards) has gone over 65 receiving yards just once and has no TD catches.
While the Eagles are trending toward their second consecutive NFC title and another Super Bowl push, the Titans are 9-14 since Brown's departure and last in the AFC South.
Tennessee's resistance to commit to Brown — a potential Hall of Famer — will only look worse the further removed from the trade.
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