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A.J. Brown is still playing on his rookie deal, but recent comments by the Tennessee Titans' head coach have given reason to believe that this could change.
Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Mike Vrabel greatly praised the wide receiver. Some would say he piled on too much, giving ammunition to the idea that an extension could be in the cards.
Here's what the head coach had to say about his number one receiver:
“Not as long as I’m the head coach. I love A.J. professionally, personally. I’ve gotten to know him well as his coach and enjoy seeing him as much as I possibly can. So you know, I saw him out here working out here earlier. I said hi. So as long as I’m the coach here, I would want to have A.J. Brown on my football team.”
The key sentence is the final one. To paraphrase, as long as the coach remains in Tennessee, he wants A.J. Brown around. However, the wide receiver is starting year four of a four-year deal. Meaning, if the team wants to keep him around longterm, they need to make a purchase soon. Of course, they can take his fifth-year option, but that only kicks the can down the road for 12 months.
This, coupled with Vrabel's statements, would make many think this serves as a green light for the two to get a deal done.
A.J. Brown's first three years
The wide receiver is entering the twilight of his rookie deal, and many would say he has made his time worth every penny, according to stats posted on Pro Football Reference. In his first three years, the wide receiver has earned nearly 3000 yards and 24 touchdowns.
However, one critique of Brown's production by many came during the most recent look at the wide receiver. In 2021, he earned the lowest stats of his career while paired with Julio Jones. Most assumed Jones would get more attention, allowing the wide receiver to explode.
Last season, he earned 869 yards and five touchdowns on 63 catches. However, his fans will defend the wide receiver, saying he only started 13 games but still earned nearly 1000 yards.
They will also point out the patterns established in 2019 and 2020. In his rookie season in 2019, the wide receiver earned 52 catches for 1051 yards and eight touchdowns. In his sophomore year in the NFL, he earned 70 catches for 1075 yards and 11 touchdowns. Overall, most would look at his stat sheet and say that while he hasn't improved in successive years, he hasn't fallen off a cliff.
Put simply, his greatest argument is that he has a high floor and a rather high ceiling. His greatest weakness is that his worst season was his most recent. It seems that Vrabel sees the former over the latter in his wide receiver.
