PHILADELPHIA — Even though the Philadelphia Eagles are heading to Brazil next week, the season opener against the Green Bay Packers is a business trip. There isn’t going to be any time for exploring the city of Sao Paulo.
A.J. Brown wanted to learn Portuguese from Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee, who spent two years in Brazil before going back to playing football at Stanford. He didn’t have the opportunity to learn words in a new language, because he was learning the etiquette of being in another country.
“We had a meeting yesterday, and there were a whole bunch of ‘Don’t Do’s,'” Brown said. “So I’m just trying to go down there and win a football game, and come back home … But after hearing all this stuff, I’m probably going to be in my room.”
What were the ‘Don’t Do’s’ Brown learned about in Brazil?
“A lot, honestly,” Brown laughed. “Things that we would normally do here, even something as simple as walking down the street with your phone in your hand, and stuff like that, which is kind of crazy, so it’s alright.”
Even if Brown chooses to stay in his room, the Eagles are treating Brazil like it’s any other week. The Eagles are giving up a home game for the Brazil game, a date with the Green Bay Packers to boot. This contest could be the head-to-head matchup that settles a potential home-field advantage situation in the NFC playoffs, since the Eagles and Packers both have Super Bowl aspirations.
“It shouldn’t be tough to do. We’re professionals,” Brown said. “This isn’t my first game, but it is my first game out of the country. So you just gotta put all of that into a factor, and try to navigate through that the best way that you can, and ultimately what are we down there to do?
“We’re down there to win a football game. We’re not down there to see the city, do all this other stuff. This is not a vacation. This is a football game.”
Business trip for the Eagles indeed.
