The Philadelphia Eagles took care of business in their 22-10 wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in a game that featured one of the oddest incidents in recent playoff history.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was seen reading a book on the sidelines during the fourth quarter: Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy.
His unorthodox actions elicited surprise from fans and announcers alike, with some speculating that Brown was engaging in a sarcastic or petty move due to his minimal involvement in the Eagles’ offense on Sunday. Brown caught one of three targets for 10 yards in the win.
Brown disputed that notion in a postgame interview and claimed he brought that book with him to every Eagles game.
“[Reading] gives me a sense of peace. That’s a book that I bring every single game,” Brown told reporters. “My teammates call it the recipe. That’s the first time that y’all got me on camera. It’s not the first game… It’s got a lot of points in there, a lot of mental parts about it. For me, this game is mental.
“It’s something like how I refresh every drive, regardless of if I score a touchdown or drop a pass. I always go back to that book every drive.”
AJ Brown describing reading on the sideline, a book he brings to every single game… pic.twitter.com/LH2iIcW3L5
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) January 13, 2025
“I feel good,” Brown said of Sunday’s win. “It didn’t show up in the stats, but I did a lot today for my teammates.”
Brown and the Eagles booked a ticket to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, where they will face either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams or Minnesota Vikings pending the rest of the weekend’s results.