AJ Brown speaks “specially” about Eagles player returning from suspension

Head coach Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles are currently in a crucial offseason for the future direction of the franchise after a very disappointing 2023-24 season. The Eagles started the 2023-24 season red hot, as they did in the previous season, and were the last undefeated team after a few weeks. However, the team’s performance dropped off sharply, resulting in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wildcard round of the playoffs and sparking calls for Sirianni to be ejected.

One area where the Eagles are expected to make significant improvements this year is the defensive backfield, as the team has signed star cornerback Cooper DeJean and is also awaiting the return of former Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. The team signed him after the 2022-23 season despite knowing he would miss the entire following year due to a suspension, but now he is ready to take the field for the first time in an Eagles uniform.

If the compliments from his teammates are any indication, Rodgers has taken advantage of the opportunity at the Eagles’ training camp so far, according to Philadelphia wide receiver AJ Brown.

“For a player who hasn’t played football for a year, returning he looks like he has been playing non-stop,” Brown said, according to Michael David Smith of NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk via ESPN. “He’s flying around and he’s going to do special things for us this year.”

Rodgers is one of several players competing for the starting cornerback spot opposite Darius Slay in the Eagles’ defensive backfield.

Can the Eagles fight back?

As mentioned, the Eagles’ 2023-24 season was an absolute disaster, at least considering the heights the team had reached the year before. In the 2022-23 season, Philadelphia was on top, reaching the Super Bowl and nearly beating Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs there.

This year was different, however, as the team’s defensive performance went downhill as the season went on. Quarterback Jalen Hurts couldn’t find a real rhythm with his offensive teammates, and although the team started the season with plenty of wins, it became clear very quickly that this was not the same Eagles team that the city fell in love with the previous season.

This year, the team has made a big push to add reinforcements, including signing star running back Saquon Barkley from division rivals the New York Giants. Brown, of course, is still considered one of the NFL’s best receivers and can be the best player on the field on any given Sunday. Hurts is still relatively young and has room for improvement after an inconsistent performance in the 2023-24 season.

In any case, the Eagles’ 2023-24 season is scheduled to begin on Friday, September 6, in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers, before a home game against the Atlanta Falcons the following week.