This has played out as A.J. Brown hoped it would when the news first broke in 2022 that the Eagles had traded with Tennessee to acquire Brown, a young and ascending wide receiver who somehow had fallen out of the Titans' long-range plans. The Eagles thought otherwise and went out and brought Brown to Philadelphia to play with another young riser at the position, DeVonta Smith, and a quarterback in Jalen Hurts who happened to be best of friends with Brown.

On Tuesday afternoon, with Hurts sitting in the audience at the NovaCare Complex celebrating the moment, Brown talked about why his career has "taken off" in the two All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons he's been here.

"Support system. I think it's family. When you care about somebody that you love and you're playing beside people that you love, you go to bat for them," Brown said. "You play a little harder. That being Jalen, Smitty, other guys in the room, on the team.

"That's what it is. Just pushing each other to be great."

Hurts, a huge part of that support system, grinned from his auditorium seat at the comment and gave a slight nod in appreciation and understanding of the answer.

That night when the Eagles traded for Brown and then shortly thereafter Brown and Hurts talked to each other and expressed such happiness that they would be together, the video that went viral, has largely come to life exactly as dreamed about.

"I'm enjoying the journey of everything," Brown said. "The sky is the limit."

In his two Eagles seasons, Brown has been extraordinary with 194 receptions, 2,952 yards, and 18 touchdowns. The numbers don't even tell the whole story, really, of how Brown has teamed with Smith – one of five Eagles to sign long-term contract extensions in this offseason – to devastate defenses. Brown is the bully, Smith is the artist, and both make beautiful music individually and as a tandem.

What we have here are two receivers who are still young – Brown will be 27 in June and enters his sixth NFL season, and Smith is in his fourth season and turns 26 in November – and in the primes of their careers.

And the Eagles are going to ride them both.

"I don't want to get into saying, 'We can do this. We can do that,' you know, because ultimately you have to go to work," Brown said. "Me and Smitty, we work really well together. As long as we're doing our jobs each and every Sunday, that's what matters."