FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — A.J. Brown arrived in New England following his trade from Philadelphia saying he was in “awe” about getting a fresh start as a member of the Patriots.
On Wednesday, surrounded by many of the faces and coaches the wide receiver left behind, Brown said as the Patriots welcomed the Eagles for a joint training camp practice that he continues to leave any raw feelings about how his Philly tenure ended in the past.
“It’s not about no closure or anything, man. It’s love,” Brown said. “I won a Super Bowl ring with them. It’ll always be love, no matter how anyone feels. I love Philly and I will always love Philly. But I’m here now. This is where my feet are and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Because of proximity of the Patriots’ new practice facility, players must run across a smaller practice field to reach a hill that leads to the two main fields. With Philadelphia stretching on the lower field, Brown had to jog through his former teammates before practice began Wednesday.
He kept his helmet on and his head down for most of that short journey, only briefly acknowledging a few assistant coaches as he went past.
But once practice started and he was lined up for an 11-on-11 drill will Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, Brown had no problem ratcheting up the intensity.
On the first play, Brown hand fought with Mitchell before getting separation along the sideline. Quarterback Drake Maye lofted a deep pass to Brown, who got one hand on it before Mitchell was able to knock it away at the last second.
The play, though ultimately incomplete, still drew one of the loudest reactions of the day from the bleachers packed with fans.
It was only time that Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, and the Eagles’ third-year All-Pro cornerback matched up during the session.
“The first rep, man, Q got away with a little holding,” Brown said with a chuckle. “I won and he pulled himself back into the play. I just got to finish the play.”
Mitchell acknowledged the intensity on the play.
“It was a little more amped up, knowing the battles we had in Philly,” Mitchell said. “He’s just a great receiver. He gives you so many battles and tough assignments. … It was really great to just go out there and compete with him again today.”
Brown’s relationship with the Eagles franchise, and notably Super Bowl LIX MVP QB Jalen Hurts, soured as much as his production last season.
The frustrating year for Brown came to a head during the Eagles’ 23-19 wild-card round loss to San Francisco when the receiver and Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni were caught by television cameras bickering on the sideline. The spat caused a security officer to intervene. Brown ripped off his helmet in frustration at one point and yelled in Sirianni’s direction.
Brown said he had not spoken to Hurts since the trade.
“Listen, honestly guys, none of that stuff even matters,” Brown said. “You know asking the question is going to turn negative. Let’s not get into that. Let’s keep everything positive. It’s love my way and just move forward. That’s all.”
Asked if he had any messages to fans about what turned out to be one of the final images of Brown in a Philadelphia jersey, Brown said he has left that, too, behind him.
“What’s my message to Eagles fans? I love you and I’m not looking in the past,” Brown said. “That game, no I didn’t play my best. But I’m not going backwards, you know? It doesn’t exist.”
Hurts said he isn’t harboring any bad feelings about Brown’s departure.
“I know he’s going out there and competing,” Hurts said. “I’ve got a lot of love for him, always have.”
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