Look at that — 1990s hip-hop bringing a pair of old friends back together again. It’s the kind of thing that might make you sentimental this time of year.
The Philadelphia Eagles won their 10th consecutive game with a 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and improved to 12-2 while simultaneously answering all the questions about the relationship between star quarterback Jalen Hurts and star wide receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith.
Hurts had his best game of the year, going 25-of-32 passing for 290 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions to go with 15 carries for 45 yards and 1 rushing touchdown. More importantly, the touchdown passes went to Brown (8 receptions, 110 yards) and Smith (11 receptions, 109 yards).
Brown and Smith were the players who jump-started last week’s controversy by complaining about the passing game following a Week 14 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The healing between the trio was never more pronounced than when Brown and Hurts met up to do the iconic Kid ‘n Play dance together after Brown’s touchdown in the first quarter.
“That was our moment to tell everybody to shut up,” Brown told NBC Philadelphia’s John Clark about the celebration.
Eagles’ Trio Among NFL’s Highest Paid Players
Hurts, Brown and Smith aren’t just among the best at their positions in the NFL — they’re also among the highest paid.
Hurts signed what was the biggest contract in NFL history at the time when he signed a 5-year, $255 million contract extension before the 2023 season.
Smith signed a 3-year, $75 million contract extension in April 2024 and Brown cashed in 10 days later with a 3-year, $96 million contract extension. Together, the trio represent a collective $425 million in contracts for the Eagles, who were recently valued at $8.3 billion.
Frustrations Boiled Over After Win Over Panthers
The frustrations in the Eagles’ locker room boiled over after the win over the Panthers — one in which Hurts went 14-of-21 passing for 108 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions while Smith (4 receptions, 37 yards, 1 touchdown) and Brown (4 receptions, 43 yards) were both afterthoughts.
When asked what was wrong with the offense following the game, Brown gave a 1-word answer: “Passing.” Smith said something along the same lines but later qualified it by saying it pertained only to that 1 game.
“There were a couple instances when Brown cleanly beat 1-on-1 coverage and was not targeted,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote on December 8. “He did not have a pass thrown to him until the waning moments of the first half. He tossed his helmet after coming off the field following a three-and-out in the second quarter.”
While Brown and Smith might be happy now, it still begs the question as to whether or not they can be happy for their team if things don’t go their way. The 2 have been in supporting roles all season while running back Saquon Barkley took a star turn and set the Eagles’ single-season rushing record in his first year with the franchise.
The Eagles now have just 3 games remaining and all 3 are against NFC East opponents, including a massive game in Week 16 on the road against the Washington Commanders followed by home games against the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants to close out the season.
