Eagles' A.J. Brown brushes off highest-paid receiver title: 'We don't play on paper'

The Philadelphia Eagles made A.J. Brown the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, but the Pro Bowl wideout dismissed the significance of that standing.

“Nothing. Nothing,” he told reporters Tuesday in reply to what it means to him. “I want to prove it. … We don’t play on paper. Nobody cares what’s in the bank account when you step between them lines.”

Brown inked a three-year, $96 million contract extension late last week. The $32 million-per-year average in new money — coming two years after he was traded to Philly and signed a four-year, $100 million extension — makes him the top-paid wideout in terms of annual value, and the $84 million in total guarantees are the most for the position.

Part of Brown’s dismissal about being the top-paid wideout might have to do with the knowledge that his compensation will soon get trumped by the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. After all, Brown’s deal came about 30 hours after the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown briefly took the title.

“Highest-paid” honors in the NFL are fleeting. Brown is after a different sort of award: a Lombardi Trophy.

Brown said he hopes the new extension, which puts him under contract through the 2029 season, means he’ll be retiring one day in Philly.

“When I hang my cleats up, it’s gonna be in that uniform right there,” he said. “I’m not, like, ready for it to be over with, but that’s the goal. I think my career took off when I got here. I went to another level. It feels right. My family’s here. My girl started school again here. I got teammates, their kids, I want them to grow up together.”

Since his trade from Tennessee, Brown has earned two Pro Bowl nods in two years and been named a second-team All-Pro in each campaign in Philadelphia. In 2022, he generated 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns. He followed that up with 106 grabs for 1,456 yards and seven scores in 2023.

“This is home. This is home,” Brown said. “There’s going to be some good days, there’s going to be some bad days, but this is home. I’ve been loving it. This is the best town there is, man. The support is just through the roof. Away games, home games. Away games feel like home games. … The support system is unmatched. I’m loving it.”

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spent the offseason locking up the club’s core to ensure several more runs at a championship. Landon Dickerson, Jake Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Jordan Mailata, DeVonta Smith, and now Brown have all gotten multi-year contracts or extensions this offseason. Add that to Jalen Hurts getting locked down last year, and the Eagles’ foundation is set for the next several seasons.