The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense has been inconsistent this season, and questions about communication among the team’s leaders intensified after Thursday night’s 34–17 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Following the game, wide receiver A.J. Brown was asked about a reported meeting earlier in the week with quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley. The discussion reportedly took place after the Eagles’ 21–17 loss to the Denver Broncos, their first defeat of the season.
When questioned about the meeting, Brown responded, “I don’t recall a meeting,” and added, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Reporters noted that his comments appeared inconsistent with previous statements from Hurts and Barkley, both of whom had acknowledged that a conversation occurred, and with head coach Nick Sirianni, who said he “loved the fact that we all get together and are looking for solutions to continue to get better.”
Brown repeated “I don’t recall” several times when pressed and told reporters to “talk to them” when asked about Hurts and Barkley’s remarks. The exchange quickly became a central topic after the team’s second loss in five days.
According to Philly Voice, the conversation among Hurts, Barkley, and Brown occurred on Monday, lasted several hours, and was described as a “long, positive conversation.” The report stated that the meeting took place the day after the loss to Denver. Barkley confirmed that the discussion happened, but said, “I feel like that conversation is meant to stay between us. The focus was all about the team, and I think it was a good thing.” Hurts also acknowledged the conversation and explained, “Yeah, 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. It’s really just teammates being teammates. I don’t want to make this about that.”
While the conversation remained a point of debate, the betting markets were simultaneously adjusting to the Eagles’ recent performances. Ahead of Philadelphia’s Week 7 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, October 19, 2025, the team opened as a three-point road favorite with a total of 44.5 points. As of midweek, most major sportsbooks — including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet — had shifted the line to Eagles -2.5, with totals reduced to between 42.5 and 43.5.
DraftKings listed Philadelphia at -2.5 (-108) with a moneyline of -148, while FanDuel showed a similar spread at -2.5 (-115) and a slightly lower total of 42.5. BetMGM’s board reflected a comparable spread but a higher moneyline of -155. According to Action Network, roughly 63% of public bets were on the Eagles, indicating continued confidence despite their recent losses. Covers and VegasInsider also showed near-uniform pricing at -2.5 with totals holding around 43.5 and moneylines ranging from -142 to -146 for Philadelphia and +114 to +124 for Minnesota.
On Friday morning, Brown posted on X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his earlier comments, explaining that the conversation had been informal. “Just to clear this up,” he wrote, “That wasn’t a meeting or a sit-down. I said ‘I don’t recall’ because it got painted like there was tension and (Barkley) had to step in. That’s not true. I was walking to my car, saw them, and stopped to talk. Nothing more.”
Just to clear this up. That wasn’t a meeting or a sit-down. I said “I don’t recall” because it got painted like there was tension and Sa had to step in. That’s not true. I was walking to my car, saw them, and stopped to talk. Nothing more.
— AJ BROWN (@1kalwaysopen_) October 10, 2025
His clarification indicated that his earlier comments were not meant to deny the exchange but to correct how it was described. Reports had referred to it as a meeting, while Brown said it was an informal conversation.
After the loss to the Giants, Brown addressed the team’s need to regroup. He said, “You just got to fix the things that you’re struggling with. Learn from winning. Right now, we’re still on the other side of losing, so we have to learn from losing.” He added that the team was “willing to have the uncomfortable conversations and be accountable.”
The Eagles are now 4–2 following losses to Denver and New York. Their next game will be against the Vikings in Minnesota, followed by another matchup with the Giants before their bye in Week 9.
