A.J. Brown and Jeffrey Lurie: A Sideline Conversation
The Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, met with star receiver A.J. Brown during practice last week. The meeting was to address the player’s public frustration with his role in Philadelphia’s offense. The unusual situation was initiated by the Eagles’ head of security, Dom DiSandro, who called Brown to the sidelines during Thursday’s practice to talk with Lurie. During the 10-minute meeting, Brown promised Lurie that he would stop complaining on social media. However, he also expressed his desire to be an integral part of the offense, stating his frustration. Lurie assured Brown that he did not need to apologize, and both concluded the meeting with a hug, after which the receiver returned to practice. Sources from the team revealed that this was the first time DiSandro facilitated a meeting on the field between Lurie and a player. DiSandro, who has worked for Lurie for 28 years, usually attends private dinners between Lurie and the players. The meeting between Lurie and Brown, initially reported by NBC Sports Philadelphia, took place a day after the three-time Pro Bowl selection publicly expressed his frustration with the Eagles’ offense.Brown added that he would not apologize for his comments in the video, stating that he was not “throwing anyone under the bus, I am literally trying to laugh at this shit.” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni stated that he did not believe Brown’s continued expression of discontent was a distraction for the team. In eight games this season, Brown has achieved 31 receptions for 408 yards and three touchdowns. He is on pace to finish with 867 receiving yards, which would be his career low. The current Super Bowl champions rank 25th in the NFL in passing yards (191.7) and 12th in points per game (24.2). The offense on third down has also been a problem; they are in 27th place with a conversion rate of 42.4% and have had three-and-outs in 41% of their series, which puts them in 28th place. Despite their offensive struggles, the Eagles (7-2) comfortably lead the NFC East and will seek their fourth consecutive victory on Sunday night in their matchup against the Lions (6-3).It’s not just about my situation. I want to win too. I think if we really focus on winning and doing our job, we can’t keep putting a band-aid on the defense doing their job and getting us out of trouble. At what point are we going to take our share as an offense?
A.J. Brown
