The tension between Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts has boiled over this season. Even at 8–2, the team’s internal conflict keeps stealing attention. Fans continue to debate whether the rift stems from on-field issues or something deeper. And recently, former wide receiver and analyst Michael Irvin also weighed in on the situation.

“I don’t give a damn where he is throwing the ball,” said Irvin on The National Football Show with Dan Sileo. “I’m never getting mad at the quarterback. You’re my quarterback, I need you throwing me the damn ball. I watched the other day when Jalen Hurts was giving the pre-game speech. A.J. Brown’s over in the back, you know, messing around, moving around – he’s not even paying attention.”

As a former WR, Irvin questioned A.J. Brown’s body language around his quarterback. He noted how it looked disrespectful when Brown wandered in the background during Hurts’ pre-game speech. Was Brown sending a message? If he was, Irvin thinks it was the wrong one as he made it clear that a receiver should never show up his quarterback. 

However, A.J. Brown has fueled the rift with Jalen Hurts all season. Brown has shown frustration with the QB with not-so-subtle hints online. And the Eagles’ sputtering offense has only fueled his criticism. The Eagles scored only 26 points in their last two games. Yet they still won those games as Hurts completed just 53.7% of his passes in those games. 

The Eagles’ QB threw for 318 yards in the last two matchups. But he also has a 107 passer rating this season (the best of his career). That’s the irony. Hurts is efficient, but his teammates want more aggression. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported just last week that many players in the Eagles’ locker room believe that Hurts has become more cautious now. 

This season, Jalen Hurts has leaned more on checkdowns or scrambles rather than throwing through tight windows to what’s open downfield. And that has led to more frustrations despite the 8–2 record. Still, Irvin argued that A.J. Brown must stick with his quarterback. 

“I don’t care how bad the throw goes,” said Irvin. “I don’t wanna mess with you because I don’t want you to start questioning, ‘Am I gonna throw it to you again?’. You know what I’m saying. So, all of these things, absolutely. When you’re like you said, the 28th-ranked team in passing, that’s a problem if you’re an A.J. Brown. But the reality is, the name of the game is to win.”

In Irvin’s words, A.J. Brown can’t afford to make his quarterback hesitate. But when a team ranks 28th in passing, frustrations will boil over. However, at the end of the day, winning matters more than personal stats. It’s hard to ignore this point. Irvin’s comments align with former NFL QB Robert Griffin III’s recent defense of Jalen Hurts.

Through his X post, Griffin reminded fans that the Eagles still have one of the league’s best records with Hurts at the helm. Yet he pointed out that the QB faces criticism for the team not delivering perfection on all fronts. And it is a situation that the Dallas Cowboys might be very familiar with.

Is A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts’ drama similar to what the Cowboys have faced?

So far this season, A.J. Brown’s drop in production mirrors what happened with the Cowboys’ WR CeeDee Lamb. Brown currently has only 38 catches for 457 yards and three touchdowns. He’s on pace for his lowest yardage total ever. That has led to his personal frustration with Jalen Hurts. And this just reminded Michael Irvin of what happened with the Cowboys last season.

“Now, then I’m going to the game and say, ‘Hmm, same thing with CeeDee and Dak,’” said Irvin on The National Football Show with Dan Sileo. “There’s something going on that you’re bringing into this game.” 

Lamb had struggled early in the 2024 NFL season. In the Cowboys’ Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last season, Lamb recorded just four catches for 67 yards. Then he had an emotional outburst on the sideline as he was seen arguing with his QB, Dak Prescott. 

The Cowboys WR later admitted that he was frustrated with himself, but the optics told a deeper story. Doesn’t that sound familiar? This week, former Eagles WR DeSean Jackson also suggested that the Brown-Hurts rift may go beyond football. If that’s true, the situation becomes even harder to fix in Philadelphia.

But as of now, Brown wants more out of the offense and more contributions from him towards the team’s success. And Hurts also admitted that he needs to do better. As such, both must find a way to reconnect. Because if their chemistry returns, the Eagles can still look like a Super Bowl team again.