Did AJ Brown get hurt? Reasons for 1 target for Eagles WR explored as Philadelphia's star weapon gets ignored vs. Dallas

AJ Brown was a non-factor in the Philadelphia Eagles' 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Thursday's Kickoff Game, catching just one pass for eight yards - and only in the second half. That can be considered shocking, given his integral role in the reigning Super Bowl champions' offense.

Instead, most of the team's aerial output came from slot receiver Jahan Dotson, who caught three passes for 59 yards. Even running back Saquon Barkley was more prolific, catching four balls for 24 in addition to his rushing prowess.

However, there may be some underlying factors behind Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo's decision to limit his involvement. Here are the likeliest ones:

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Why did AJ Brown have just one target vs. Cowboys? Possible reasons for Eagles WR's lack of output in Kickoff Game

Dallas Cowboys v Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Getty

3) Injury

Throughout the preseason, reports circulated claiming that Brown had been dealing with a hamstring injury. As can be inferred, it can limit mobility and explosiveness, which is a prerequisite for being elite at the skill positions, like wide receiver.

Thus, it is possible that the Eagles decided to limit his participation in the game to let him heal better and have a more dominant run later in the season.

2) Saquon Barkley's presence

Saquon Barkley's impact on the Eagles cannot be understated.

In 2022 and 2023, they managed to get Pro Bowl-caliber thousand-yarders out of unknown quantities Miles Sanders and D'Andre Swift, respectively. But when their former divisional rival crossed over from the New York Giants, experts soon recognized that he would have an elite season.

Barkley had already been able to create strong seasons behind a mediocre offensive line; now imagine what he could do with one of the very best. His 2024 explosion speaks for itself, and it was once again on display on Thursday, as he carried the ball eighteen times for 60 yards and a touchdown.

With Jalen Hurts also breaching 60 and scoring twice, Brown need not overexert himself to help his team win.

1) Offensive flexibility

But of course, Hurts and Barkley were not the only ones doing damage.

There was the aforementioned Jahan Dotson, a 2024 preseason trade acquisition who has thrived in spot duty. Tight end Dallas Goedert proved his versatility yet again in both helping with the run and catching passes (seven receptions for 44 yards). And DeVonta Smith had three catches of his own for 16 yards.

Having that many weapons allows the Eagles to confuse opposing defenses. Defense expects a run? Fake the handoff, throw at the corners. Defense expects a pass? Keep the ball, and run.

Brown will be more efficient as a weapon when he is a "spoke in the hub" rather than when he is just fed the ball constantly (as Dak Prescott has tended to do with CeeDee Lamb, sometimes to detrimental outcomes).