For the second consecutive year, there appears to be tension between Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown that is affecting the Philadelphia Eagles locker room. Forget the fact that the Eagles are 11-2 and won nine games in a row, sitting as one of the four teams that have 11-plus wins in the NFL.
Brandon Graham, one of the team captains on the Eagles and someone who is always a straight shooter, revealed that there's tension between Hurts and Brown that has been lasting for a while. This is more than just football.
"I don't know the whole story, but I know that 1 (Hurts) is trying. 11 (Brown) could be a little better with how he responds to things. They were friends, but things have changed," Graham said on SportsRadio WIP on Monday night. "And I understand that because life happens. But (on) the business side, we got to make sure we don't let the personal get in the way of the business.
"And that's what we need to do better."
Hurts and Brown are at the forefront of drama that emerged after Sunday's 22-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers, when the Eagles wide receiver was frustrated over the pass offense. This came on a day when Hurts finished with 108 yards passing, giving him just 226 over the past two games.
"Passing," Brown said when asked what the offense could improve on. "What we did today is not (good enough). It won't help us."
Hurts has just 5.7 yards per attempt over his past two games, as only Will Levis and Drew Lock have a lower yards per attempt than Hurts amongst the teams that have played two games over the last two weeks (six teams are on bye). Of the quarterbacks who have made two starts over the last two games, Hurts is last in passing yards.
Hurts also has thrown for three touchdowns and has a 102.7 passer rating on just 40 attempts, without turning the ball over. He also has five touchdowns over the last two games (three passing, two rushing). In the fourth quarter of games over the nine-game winning streak, Hurts leads the NFL with a 152.5 passer rating and has more touchdowns (six) than incompletions (five).
Hurts also has 23 touchdowns to two giveaways during the Eagles' nine-game winning streak. The Eagles are winning games and Hurts isn't turning the ball over, yet there still appears to be a problem.
The Hurts-Brown drama is apparently bigger than anyone would have realized, and is apparently taking over the locker room of an 11-2 team.
"We need to be able to talk things out as men," Graham said. "We need to let personal stuff go. It's like a lot of stuff. Most of the time it's like a conversation that needs to be had. The person with the problem has to want to talk to the person."
