The 6-foot-1, 233-pound Brown, who turns 29 at the end of June, caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards (12.9-yard average) and seven TDs last season. It was Brown’s fourth straight 1,000-yard season and the sixth of his career, but he averaged nearly 20 fewer receiving yards per game last season than he had over his previous three years in Philadelphia. The Eagles moved on from Brown after a litany of off-the-field drama and rumored disconnect with star quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Vrabel was asked Tuesday about Brown’s apparent friction in Philadelphia prior to his exit and didn’t attempt to downplay the WR’s competitiveness.
“Whatever happens or comes up, I can’t say there’s not going to be things that come up with A.J., with any single player,” Vrabel said. “This is a competitive game. Highly competitive. Players want to win. Players want to do everything they can to help their team. They want to make sure that people are on the right page. I don’t get into a lot of that. I think that’s what’s most important is that those things don’t carry into the locker room. …
“I don’t know what happened (in Philadelphia). I’m not trying to find out what happened in Philadelphia. I’m trying to focus on what’s going to happen here, and try to get him acclimated to what we do and how we do it.”
Brown spoke with NBC’s Maria Taylor after Monday’s trade and credited Vrabel’s tough-love approach with him as a rookie in 2019 for some of his early success.
“When I first got to Tennessee he was extremely tough on me, and I didn’t really understand what he was trying to do,” Brown said. “Obviously he was trying to push me to become the player I am today, but he was just so tough. I remember a conversation, I was talking to him, (saying) like, ‘You don’t have to humble me. I came from humble beginnings.’
“I just never understood. He stayed on me all the time.”
It took time, but Brown came to understand Vrabel’s mission: to get the very best out of him.
“He was holding me accountable,” Brown said, “and we grew close over the years.”
Now that relationship will be close again, with Brown joining the Patriots for his second run with his former coach.
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