After the Eagles’ 31-25 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, A.J Brown gave the media one more story to tell about the lackluster offense.
His cryptic Biblical excerpt on social media had NFL fans, legends, and analysts raising speculations and questioning his mentality, but it didn’t take long before he picked up another verse from the Bible that admonishes people to confess their sins to find mercy; this time, not to post on social media, but to act it out. On Wednesday, the wide receiver apologized for his message, while assuring Philadelphians that he was going nowhere.
His message after the game was from Mark 6:11 in the Bible, as it subtly addressed the way he felt with the club at the moment.
“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way,” the post read.
And in a matter of days, Brown didn’t just take back his words, he also promised that his loyalty and commitment remain with the Eagles. However, despite his apology, he denied that his message was directed to any individual associated with the team.
“First off, I want to start off by saying, obviously, Sunday after the game, I let my frustrations boil over,” Brown said (via NFL.com). “I didn’t speak to the media. I had a chance to correct my frustrations and I continued to let it boil over. That’s on me. You know I take full accountability on that. My message on Twitter (X) wasn’t directed at anyone in the building, not my coaches, not my quarterback, my GM, nobody,” Brown explained.
He then went on to explain the reason behind his frustration after the game on Sunday, admitting that it gets to him whenever he’s unable to help the team in his capacity as a wide receiver.
"I don’t think it’s a bad thing for wanting the ball. It’s not just for targets or anything, or put numbers up, but no, I see that that we’re struggling and I’m a guy that wants to ball in those times, when we can’t find a way, give it to me. Like, when the game’s on the line, give the ball to me. I want that. I want that pressure, I put it on myself, you know, and I work hard for it. Myteammates know that when the game’s on the line, look at me, you know? And I want, shoot, everybody in the stadium to know that...
...I’m not shying away from that. And so that’s when you see that frustration and that hunger comes out, and I see you struggling, and I believe it, you give the ball to me, I’m gonna open up things, and I’m gonna get this thing going. You can put it on my back.”
While he owned up and took responsibility for the tweet, he reaffirmed that nothing was going to waver his love for the team that handed him the first Super Bowl of his career.
“Absolutely,” Brown said via TheSpun. “This is home. This is my home, you know? Unfortunately, I did it to myself. I wouldn’t even say unfortunately. I did it to myself. But this is my home, man. I love it here. But you just see frustration because obviously we want to be great and most definitely I want to be great as well.”
