Former Tennessee Titans and current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown made some headlines recently when he said that playing for head coach Mike Vrabel was “no fun.”
Brown made the comments on “The Crew NYC” podcast, and went on to compare Vrabel to New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, while also comparing Vrabel to his new head coach, Nick Sirianni.
“I got a lot of respect for [Vrabel], but he’s the Belichick way. Everything is lock in, no fun over there; we’re going to get the job done,” Brown explained. “But over here, [head coach Nick Sirianni] is just letting us have fun, do what we do, let us express our personality. And I think that’s huge.”
New Titans wide receiver Robert Woods agrees with Brown somewhat, but notes that it isn’t as cut-and-dry as Brown makes it out to be.
“I would say every coach and team has their own style, has their philosophy,” Woods said, per John Glennon of Sports Illustrated. “Yeah, Tennessee, it is serious, and you want guys on the team that take winning serious. I think that’s just how it is at practice and at work in the workplace.
“[But] once you know your assignment, know what you’re doing, you can go out there on Sundays and that’s when you’re able to play, have fun, play fast and then play loose… Throughout the week, it’s the working week. But you go out there on Sunday, you make plays and win games. That’s when the fun comes in.”
Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons weighed-in on Brown’s comments, also, saying he “didn’t really think much” about what his former teammate said, while also coming to the defense of his head coach.
“I didn’t really think much [of Brown’s comments] because I know for a fact that you have to be locked in to win,” Simmons said. “But also I know for a fact that me and Vrabel joked around several times on the practice field, in the locker room. We have a lot of fun around here. When you win, you’re supposed to have fun.
“When you’re losing, no one wanted that locker room to be all holly jolly. We shouldn’t be. That’s when things get tightened up around here. Because it’s supposed to be, from the leaders, the coaches, everyone.”
As far as Titans players maybe not being able to be themselves, as Brown hinted at, Simmons said once again disagreed with his former teammate.
“For sure, 1000 percent,” Simmons said. “I can be me. [Vrabel] knows that. Every player on this team knows they can be (themselves) in this locker room.”
The super-fun Eagles and boring, no-fun Titans will do battle in Week 13 in Philly, which will be the first meeting between Brown and his former squad.
