Ryan Tannehill reacts to news of AJ Brown trade to Philadelphia Eagles

During the 2022 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans shook the football world by trading AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles. Fans were quick to question how Ryan Tannehill reacted to losing his top target, and he shared his thoughts this week.

Tannehill, like many football fans, said it was a “shock” to see Brown head to the Eagles in exchange for the No. 18 overall pick. After the deal, Brown received an extension with Philadelphia worth $100 million. For Tannehill, it means he lost his top receiver from last year after he and Brown connected for 869 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.

“I thought they were going to get it done,” Tannehill said, via NFL Network’s Mike Giardi. “Just in my heart, I thought we were going to have AJ here for a long time. Didn’t work out.”

The pick the Titans received turned into Treylon Burks, a wide receiver out of Arkansas. Tennessee decided to go with a cheaper option and go with Burks, who’s set to make $14.36 million over four years as part of his rookie deal.

AJ Brown addresses rumors surrounding Titans trade, unhappiness with organization

The first round of the draft brought a frenzy of trades, none bigger than the Eagles’ deal for Brown. During his introductory press conference, Brown finally addressed the rumors surrounding the trade and if he was unhappy with the Titans organization.

Brown said his mindset was pretty simple. He just wanted his accomplishments as an NFL wide receiver to be appreciated and Philadelphia seems to do that.

“I wanted my work to be appreciated,” Brown said. “That’s pretty much it.”

Brown was then asked if Tennessee ever gave a reason why it was trading him despite drafting him. He recognizes there’s a business side to the NFL and that there was no ill will between the wide receiver and the organization.

“No explanation,” said Brown. “They were just sorry it couldn’t work out, it’s a business. Things happen and you move on and I appreciate the time, everything they did for me. People down there, I have no bad blood with the Titans. They believed in me, they drafted me. They got my career started.”

Tennessee drafted Brown in the second round with the 52nd overall pick in 2019. The former Ole Miss wide receiver instantly became a staple in their offense, going for 2,995 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns over three seasons. Even for a group that preferred to run the ball, Brown got the call when needed.