The Philadelphia Eagles will be without top wide receiver A.J. Brown on Monday night when they face the Atlanta Falcons. Brown is dealing with a hamstring injury, the team announced.
Losing Brown is a significant blow for the Eagles. He had five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown in the regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers. Brown’s 67-yard touchdown in that win showcased how much the Eagles’ passing game relies on perhaps its most talented receiver in history.
The Eagles will hope this is not an injury that lasts more than one game. Brown “got a little tight” in Friday’s practice, coach Nick Sirianni said, and they limited his workload to be “a little bit cautionary.” Brown didn’t practice Saturday and was initially listed as questionable for Monday night’s game.
Injury Update: WR A.J. Brown has been downgraded to Out with a hamstring injury for Monday night. https://t.co/EahQ8GY4A7
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 15, 2024
The potency of the Eagles passing game now largely relies on DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson. General manager Howie Roseman acquired Dotson in an Aug. 23 trade with the Washington Commanders. A move that secured the No. 3 option the Eagles had been missing is even more significant now, considering the depth that wouldn’t have been available without him.
“He’s worked his butt off,” Sirianni said of Dotson Saturday. “He’s obviously a very talented player. We’ll see how that goes.”
Brown, 27, led Philadelphia in receptions and receiving yards in 2023. He hasn’t missed a regular-season game since being acquired by the Eagles in 2022, but he missed the 2023 playoffs after suffering a sprained knee in the season finale. In 2021, Brown missed one game with a hamstring strain.
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