Hollywood Brown may finally get the kind of stage he’s been waiting for in Philadelphia.
After signing a one-year deal with $5 million in guaranteed money back in the spring, Brown has spent most of the Eagles’ disappointing 2-4 start stuck far down the receiver pecking order. DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, first-round pick Makai Lemon, and second-year breakout Darius Cooper have all been ahead of him on the depth chart, and with the trade deadline coming up Tuesday, Nov. 10, Brown’s name has already been floating around the league’s rumor mill.
Monday night against the Cowboys could change that. Smith (hamstring) and Wicks (ankle) have both been ruled out, opening the door for Brown, Lemon, Cooper, and Elijah Moore to handle the load in an offense that has used 11 personnel most of the time. That should mean real snaps in prime time for Brown, who has appeared in just one game and played only 17 offensive snaps so far.
Brown said Friday that he did expect a bigger role, but he’s kept the frustration in check.
“Yeah, I did [expect a larger role],” Brown said. “But I do understand.
Stuff happens. I mean, you can’t take nothing personal in this business, so you kind of just got to go about your process and when that time happens, whatever happens, you just got to be ready for it.”
Part of the delay came from an ankle injury Brown suffered in practice before the Eagles’ Week 3 loss to the Rams.
The 2019 first-round pick has seen this movie before, though maybe not always with the same patience. Brown came into the league as a Ravens first-rounder out of Oklahoma and was a major part of Baltimore’s offense at his peak, including a 90-catch, 1,000-yard season in 2021. For his career, he has 371 receptions for 4,322 yards and 33 touchdowns.
That résumé looked like it could matter for an Eagles team that traded A.J. Brown during the offseason, but so far Hollywood Brown hasn’t caught a pass in Philadelphia. He did get two carries for 12 yards against the Titans in Week 2, when offensive coordinator Sean Mannion tried to manufacture touches for him.
Asked about his future with the trade deadline looming, Brown kept the focus on the present.
“I’m here right now just trying to play,” Brown said. “I mean, of course, you want to be somewhere where you play, but ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s not my plan.
So, I might want to play, I might contribute, but if that’s not the plan for me, you know, I can’t dwell on it too much. You’ll be unhappy, and you’re taking that back home.
I can’t take that back home to the wife and kids. I’ve got to try to stay as positive as I can.”
He added, “Some days better than others,” Brown admitted. “But like I said, it’s a good group here from my teammates.
If I’m frustrated, I can go talk to the coach. Everybody hears me out.
So it’s not really a bad thing. It’s kind of like, we’re all dealing with something, and we’re dealing with something as a team.
So I don’t want to add that extra stress.”
Nick Sirianni said Saturday that Brown has handled the situation well behind the scenes.
“(Hollywood) is a great pro, comes to work every day, just working to get better and paying attention in meetings,” Sirianni said. “He made a catch at practice yesterday.
I told him it was one of the best catches I’ve seen in routes on air, the way he adjusted to the ball. He’s highly talented and will bring some great speed to our team.
But I’ve just seen the consistency from him of being the same guy every single day, regardless of the circumstances. I’m looking forward to him continuing to develop and add to this football team.”
Even if Brown isn’t part of Philadelphia’s longer-term picture, Monday night still gives him a chance to put something on tape. If he delivers, that could matter elsewhere before the deadline, with contenders looking for a proven veteran speed threat who can help down the stretch.
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