Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have heard some things about Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown reading on the sidelines and wondering what is going on. No worries! We’re here to help.
That’s right, this was a whole thing in the NFL playoffs that caught a lot of fans’ attention and turned out to be not a big deal. And it’s something we might see a lot more now that cameras could focus on the receiver as he’s sitting on the bench.
So what’s up with Brown reading during games? Let’s dive in:
Does A.J. Brown really read on the sidelines during games?
He sure does. In the Eagles’ 2025 NFL Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers, cameras caught him reading a book. Fans initially took it to be a statement to coaches about his usage in the game, but that wasn’t the case.
It turns out this is something he’s done before! A lot!
What book does A.J. Brown read on the sidelines?
It’s a book called Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life by Jim Murphy. He said brings the inspirational tome to every game and reads certain highlighted passages after every drive to “refocus” himself.
How does head coach Nick Sirianni feel about A.J. Brown reading?
He’s totally fine about it. He called out people who thought Brown’s actions were disrespectful.
https://twitter.com/SportsRadioWIP/status/1879190147532832883
Has A.J. Brown met the Inner Excellence author?
Yes! Seems like we’ll see an interview with both of them on Sunday.
