Cracks are beginning to show in the Philadelphia Eagles’ foundation, and they run directly between quarterback Jalen Hurts and star receiver A.J. Brown. ‘An 8-2 record should signal a Super Bowl contender, but for the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s masking a locker room conflict that has one team legend questioning the franchise quarterback’s future.

“So when it comes to the team success, yeah, I get some of that, but when it comes down to a contract, is he going to be on here?” LeSean McCoy asked during the Speakeasy podcast. “Well, do you pay him again because he ain’t really doing his job?”

While McCoy appreciated the team’s success, he stated that a contract may not be on offer for Hurts due to some considerations. The biggest issue right now seems to be between star wide receiver Brown and quarterback Hurts. Brown recently deflected a question about friction with Hurts, telling reporters to “ask me about Dallas” instead after growing frustrated that the offense has shifted more plays to Dallas Goedert, reducing his big-play opportunities.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they’re sorting things out anytime soon. Even though the Eagles are stacking wins, the quality of their offensive play is dropping. If Jalen Hurts isn’t giving his all and Brown is visibly frustrated on the field, it raises a major, long-term question of whether the team will extend the QB’s contract.

The main reason people are questioning Jalen Hurts’ long-term future, despite the team winning, comes down to his authority and his style of play. Because of his big contract and status, people inside the organization feel Jalen Hurts is ignoring the coaching staff and running his own offense.

Reporter Derrick Gunn confirmed this recently, saying that coaches spend time preparing a game plan, but when it’s game time, Hurts often “plays his game” instead of the one the coaches want.

McCoy himself gave Hurts credit, calling him a “really good quarterback,” but also acknowledged other factors that worked for the Eagles last year.

“The running back had like 2500 yards,” McCoy pointed out. “The defense was nice.”

As per reports, Hurts seems overly focused on not losing the game, a goal that makes him too cautious. He often passes up the easy, quick throws that are available to him. He holds onto the ball and hesitates, looking for a bigger play. This hesitation ruins the offense’s rhythm and timing, which is why the whole unit looks messy and less effective than it should be. But irrespective of all this, he is still getting paid, and the team is going to the Super Bowl.

What’s been going on between A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts?

The relationship between star receiver Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts has been a topic of discussion this season, and a former Eagles player, DeSean Jackson, thinks the issue is deeper than just play calls, as he had previously said.

“As you can tell, it’s something else going on,” Jackson added, “It’s not all about football, it’s not all about X’s and O’s. I’ve had situationships with QBs I didn’t necessarily like. And when it ain’t there, it sticks out like a sore thumb. That’s all Imma say.”

This is messy because their friendship is strong, going all the way back to high school. Hurts is even the godfather to Brown’s daughter Jersee. But this year, their close bond hasn’t translated into good on-field chemistry.

A.J. Brown’s frustrations have been bubbling for weeks. First, he vented on a livestream, admitting the season felt like “a s—show” and hinting that a lack of targets was at the heart of it. The Eagles tried to course-correct by feeding him more in the next game, but the production did not follow, with only seven receptions out of 11 targets.

The tension resurfaced when Jalen Hurts was asked about targeting Brown. Instead of owning the decision, Hurts pointed toward Kevin Patullo, saying that was a “KP question,” putting the spotlight squarely on the play-calling. Brown later clarified he was not blaming Hurts, only that the offense itself has deeper issues.

The Eagles’ past success came from running the ball well, winning the turnover battle, and having a dominant defense. But this year, their running game isn’t as strong, and their defense isn’t quite the same. 

For the Eagles to truly become the Super Bowl team they were last year, they would like to figure out how to get their receiver and QB playing perfectly in sync again before they head to Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.