Mike Florio ,
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On the field, the Eagles have mastered the tush push. Off the field, the Eagles have mastered the lip zip.
For nearly two years, there’s been a nagging sense that all isn’t well behind closed doors in Philly. It started during a late-season collapse in 2023, when a 10-1 start became six of seven losses, capped by an embarrassing exit in the wild-card round.
Much of the speculation centers on the relationship, or lack thereof, between quarterback Jalen Hurts and receiver A.J. Brown. Last year, then-Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham spilled the beans , before doing damage control . This week, Brown posted a tweet that was reportedly directed at one or more members of the organization.
On Wednesday, Brown tiptoed on a tightrope that had him admitting to being frustrated by a lack of touches, taking full responsibility for the tweet, and claiming that the tweet for which he apologized meant nothing.
As to Hurts, Brown said at one point that the quarterback “is not throwing to miss on purpose.” Which is hardly a ringing endorsement.
Hurts was separately asked about his relationship with Brown. Said Hurts, “ It’s good .” After Hurts said it, the corners of his mouth curled downward for an instant, and his jaw clenched. “Yeah,” he added.
He then was asked to expand on his connection with Brown, which was close enough before Brown joined the Eagles to prompt him to ask Hurts to be the godfather of Brown’s child.
“We share a great passion for this game,” Hurts replied, “and we’re focused on this week.”
It doesn’t take an advanced degree in psychology — or anything more than basic common sense — to realize something is off. If, for example, someone were to ask about my current relationship with PFT Live co-host Chris Simms, I wouldn’t say, “It’s good.” And if pressed for more, I wouldn’t say, “We share a great passion for the game, and we’re focused on the next show.”
I’d say something like this: “I love Chris. He’s like a brother to me. We have fun every time we’re together. We think alike. We complement each other incredibly well. On the rare occasions that we argue during the show, we put it behind us immediately.”
For Brown and Hurts, there’s no sense of enthusiasm about their relationship, from either party to it. Which is extremely telling.
It makes the organization’s ability to keep the situation from reaching full boil even more impressive. There have been no leaks. No Sunday Splash! reports. And on the rare occasions when the potential truth begins to trickle out, the Eagles successfully mobilize and neutralize.
Big Shield combines gambling, pro football, and the mob into a cautionary tale regarding inside information, and the dangers that come from selling it.
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