For Mike Vrabel, A.J. Brown reading a self-help book on the sidelines of a playoff game is emblematic of the star wideout’s growth.
Vrabel coached Brown for the first three years of his career, when Vrabel was the head coach of the Titans, who took the now-27-year-old wideout in the second round of the 2019 draft. It did not take long for Brown to blossom into a star, reeling in over 1,000 yards receiving as a rookie on 52 receptions.
But the ending got messy, with the Titans ultimately dealing Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2022 draft. Since Brown’s departure, Tennessee has cycled through veteran free agents like Robert Woods, DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley to be their top receiver.
Brown has since become the unequivocal top receiver in Philly, and is inarguably among the best players in the NFL at any position when healthy. Though their run-heavy offense has resulted in Brown venting frustration about usage, Brown is the clear top dog in their wideout room.
Thus, he turned heads Sunday when, during the second half of his team's first-round playoff game against the Packers, cameras caught him on the sidelines reading a book. It was quickly assumed that it was a message about not being utilized enough, but, in fact, he was actually reading a self-help book. Brown denied that reading on the sidelines was any sort of veiled message.
"I wasn't frustrated at all. I figured that's what y'all probably thought," Brown told reporters after the game. "Why do you always think I be frustrated? Dang. I like to read."
His former coach, installed this week as head coach of the Patriots, was, somewhat jokingly, asked Tuesday on The Greg Hill Show about the viral moment. Vrabel used it as an opportunity to salute Brown.
“I think AJ is just trying to find ways to release – I'm proud of his development, his personal development, and working on himself and working on getting back to center," Vrabel said. "He’s a passionate player, I love him to death, and I have a very, very close relationship with him.”
In the heat of the interview, this just felt like a coach giving props to one of his former players. But as these quotes began to circulate, Patriots fans started to wonder if this was Vrabel doing some creative recruiting.
Last April, Brown signed a three-year extension with the Eagles worth $96 million, making him the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. The deal includes $84 million in guaranteed money, and will keep Brown in Philadelphia through the 2029 season.
So if Vrabel wants to get frisky and add the All-Pro wide receiver, it will require a trade. And for a player of that caliber, it would take an absolute haul. But as player contracts continue to increase year after year, acquiring a player like Brown with term at his current salary numbers might look like a bargain sooner rather than later.
This all might sound like fantasy football to most, but with Brown publicly venting frustrations earlier this season, and with rumors of frustrations with the team surfacing last season, it would behoove Vrabel to keep his ear to the ground on this situation.
Be on the lookout for more public praise of Brown from Vrabel in the years to come.