Eagles stars Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts confirmed they spoke with A.J. Brown earlier this week but, despite Philadelphia’s recent offensive malaise, dismissed the notion that the meeting was contentious.
Barkley and Hurts both discussed the meeting Tuesday, two days after the defending Super Bowl champions suffered their first loss of the season. Barkley said the meeting, which took place Monday, was a “good thing” and emphasized that it was not a traditional players-only meeting where “all hell’s breaking loose.”
“I felt like that conversation was meant to stay between us, but the focus was all about the team, and I think it was a good thing,” the star running back told reporters. “I would definitely say it wasn’t like a players’ meeting.
“When you hear ‘players’ meeting,’ that’s like all hell’s breaking loose. It wasn’t that at all. But also that we’re teammates, we’re all friends, we’re just having a conversation.”
Sunday’s 21-17 home loss to the Denver Broncos marked the latest underwhelming performance for Brown, who finished with five catches for just 43 yards. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver was targeted eight times by Hurts but failed to eclipse 50 yards for the fourth time in five games this season.
Barkley also had minimal impact, rushing for 30 yards on just six carries — his lowest single-game total since the 2021 season. The reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year said multiple times Tuesday that he wished the meeting had not become a talking point.
“I personally wish that wasn’t out there, to be honest,” Barkley said. “But people saw us having a conversation, and they got out there. I don’t think we need to make too much of that. … I mean, we have conversations all the time.
“In that instance, it was us three. But I talk to [DeVonta Smith], [Smith] talks to A.J., and Lane [Johnson] talks to Jordan [Mailata]. We should be all talking, you know what I mean? But I know people are going to try to make it more than what it is, but it’s not that. And I really don’t want to speak too much on it.”
Hurts also downplayed the meeting, saying it was “really just teammates being teammates.”
“It’s just us talking about the collective, talking about taking ownership for what we can and talking about how we move forward as a team so we continue to find ways to win games,” Hurts said.
Despite their star-studded offense that sent four players to last season’s Pro Bowl, the Eagles enter Week 6 with the NFL’s 30th-ranked offense. Philadelphia also is just 31st in the league in passing offense.
Brown was not in the Eagles locker room Tuesday during the period when players spoke to reporters. Barkley and Hurts both noted that they were happy the Eagles face a quick turnaround this week with Thursday night’s road game against the New York Giants.
Barkley, who spent the first six years of his career with New York, said the Eagles’ “main focus is on the Giants” while Hurts added: “Thank God it’s a short week.”
