With a Week 12 matchup against his former team (Tennessee Titans) looming, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is stirring up some old beef, claiming the Titans fanbase despises him.
“Oh, they hate me,” Brown said. “Part of it is my fault. I mean some people still love me, but I think the majority of their fans are out to get me. It’s a part of it, though.”
It’s safe to say that A.J. Brown is enjoying his time in Philly so far. The Eagles are the only team in the NFL with just one loss.
A.J. Brown Says He’s Public Enemy No. 1 In Tennessee
The former Ole Miss star took a chance to reflect on his time with the Titans, and after a successful season in Philly so far, he decided to accept his role as public enemy No. 1 in Tennessee.
While speaking to NFL media, the Eagles receiver said that he has had an ongoing rivalry with the Titans fanbase since he was traded in the first round of 2022 NFL draft night. He also admits that he’s been fueling the fire, and at this point Titans fans “hate” him.
Brown definitely feels the “brotherly hate” from the Titans fans, and he understands in this reunion Tennessee will be out for heads. He, on the other hand, will just try to block out all distractions and play his best game, keep his All-Pro season going.
“I mean, of course it means a lot, but I’ve got to be professional about it and keep my emotions down and just play,” Brown said to ESPN about playing his former team.
A.J. Brown Has Been Trolling Tennessee Titans On Social Media
While he now wants to just play his game and try to avoid distractions, there may be some static, considering Brown was stirring up some emotions when he was trolling the Titans for their wide receiver group as a whole not equaling his individual statistical output in early November.
Brown’s social media handle, 1kAlwaysOpen was making fun of the fact that “ain’t nobody open” on the Titans on Twitter.
While the antics were hilariously disrespectful, most Titans fans and players probably weren’t amused that their former Pro Bowl wide receiver was letting them have it over the internet while they were struggling. So, whether it’s a fan, or A.J., or another Titans player, something has to give.
Nonetheless, this matchup looks to be huge for both teams, as they are both having extremely successful seasons. The Eagles, obviously, sitting atop the NFC at 10-1. The Titans are 7-4 and in first place in the AFC South, but Mike Vrabel’s squad has had to scrap and grind out their wins behind the pure dominance of All-Pro running back Derrick Henry.
Interestingly enough, it was Henry who helped Treylon Burks, whom the Titans ultimately drafted with the No. 18 pick and essentially used to replace Brown, score the first touchdown of his career last Sunday. Burks was blocking on a 68-yard run play before recovering Derrick Henry’s goal-line fumble in the end zone for the score.
So now that Brown’s replacement has finally gotten on the scoreboard himself, it’s ironic that the touchdown didn’t even come by way of reception. These are obviously two different teams by way of attack, and no one can predict the final score. But by the time Brown takes the field at 1 p.m. on Sunday, he will already know who won.
A.J. Brown Feels Like A Winner
According to ESPN, Brown feels like regardless of whether he wins or loses on Sunday, he’s already won in life by being able to make a difference for himself and his family.
“I feel like regardless of how the trade and everything goes down, I feel like me personally, I feel like I’ve won,” Brown said. “I say that because I changed my family’s life forever. That’s the goal. Especially growing up from where I’m from. Of course, I want to do great and accomplish all the great things, but that’s the reason why we play the game.”
Now Brown will be looking to double his win percentage for this week when the Eagles face the Titans in Philadelphia.
