We’ve learned to expect the unexpected in the NFL Draft, but no one could have predicted the madness that occurred in the middle of the first round Thursday night. Not only were three picks traded back-to-back-to-back, but two receivers were traded in Marquise Brown and A.J. Brown. Marquise was dealt from the Baltimore Ravens to the Arizona Cardinals, while A.J. was shipped from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles.
After the conclusion of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, A.J. took to Twitter to say goodbye to Tennessee. In a tweet that was up for less than 10 minutes, Brown said:
“Tennessee I love you and you will forever be in my heart and I can say this now… THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. But I wish you all the best. Love”
Brown then deleted the tweet, and settled for something more succinct.
As for Brown’s “THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT” message, that likely relates to the fact that he wanted to stay in Tennessee, but that he was simply not being offered the money that he thought he was worth. ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that it always appeared the Titans and Brown would eventually reach a new deal, but recently, things hit a snag. Brown stopped talking to the Titans — who did make an offer — but it became clear to the Titans’ brass that they couldn’t pay him what he was asking for.
Both Titans general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel wanted to keep Brown in the fold, with Vrabel even saying Thursday night that Tennessee “went to the extreme” to keep Brown in Nashville.
We don’t know what “the extreme” was, but this came down to money. Right after being traded, Philly gave Brown a four-year, $100 million deal that includes $57 million guaranteed, per ESPN. That AAV of $25 million makes him the fourth-highest paid receiver in the NFL.
Brown secured the bag, but he hopes Titans fans know this wasn’t his fault.
