PHILADELPHIA – A.J. Brown, the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, is not a member of Goodreads or any book club. However, he does enjoy reading for pleasure.

He wants to clarify something regarding his reading habit, which was caught by FOX cameras during the second half of the Eagles’ 22-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC wild-card round: His reading is sincere, and he’s not doing it for attention or to convey any unsaid messages.

This clarification was necessary due to the title of the book he was engrossed in, “INNER EXCELLENCE: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life,” and the ongoing discussions about the Eagles’ less-than-ideal passing game this season.

“I like to read a lot,” Brown stated after the match. “My teammates often see me with a book. I aim to read two books each month.”

The book was penned by Jim Murphy in 2020, who serves as a mental skills coach for baseball players, Olympic athletes, and elite golfers, as mentioned on his Amazon author page.

Brown’s copy shows clear signs of use, filled with highlights and underlined passages he finds meaningful.

“You will find as you take this journey with me,” one highlighted note from Murphy reads, “that your best moments will always come from a clear mind.”

Moro Ojomo, a second-year defensive lineman for the Eagles, suggested this book to Brown at the season’s start.

“That’s a book I carry with me to every game. My teammates refer to it as ‘the recipe,’” Brown explained. “That was the first time I was captured reading on camera. It contains many valuable points about mental resilience. The game is largely mental.”

Brown turned to social media to express his perspective.

“This game is 90% mental and 10% physical for me,” he posted on X. “I bring it along to each game and read it between drives. It helps me refocus and concentrate no matter what happens during the game, whether good or bad. People often stir up controversy when they lack the full story.”

Brown believes he can handle everything, and the book assists him in maintaining focus at peak performance levels. He refers back to it consistently, regardless of whether he scores a touchdown or drops a pass.

Key lessons from the book, according to Brown, include:

• A clear mind allows you to disregard everything else—be it positive or negative.
• Be open to taking risks.
• Humility prevents you from being hard on others.

“So regardless of what occurs,” Brown noted, “in the game or elsewhere, just stay free.”

Wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who scored the game’s opening touchdown, shared with YSL News Sports that he regularly sees Brown reading in the locker room after games. Conversely, quarterback Jalen Hurts denied he had ever witnessed Brown actually reading.

“I’ve seen him holding the book, but I’ve never caught him reading it,” Hurts remarked. “Everyone has their own approach and finds their rhythm in different ways. That’s his method.”

However, left tackle Jordan Mailata confirmed Brown’s assertion that he brings the book with him to the sidelines for every game this season.

“He does that every game… It’s a mindset book,” Mailata added.

“Y’all just don’t see it,” Brown said with a grin, avoiding the question of how the book made it back to his locker after the game (an Eagles equipment manager handles that for him).

Brown typically enjoys reading mindfulness and self-help books, he shared.

“I’m not really into fiction,” he explained.

Mailata, known for being expressive yet typically good-humored, offered a theory about why the topic of Brown’s reading suddenly emerged in post-game discussions among reporters.

“It’s because there’s nothing else to report on, nothing else to talk about,” Mailata said. “Now we’re focusing on him reading a book on the sidelines when he’s been doing it all year. Let’s not make drama out of it.”

Brown emphasized that it was not his intention to cause any concern. He expressed no frustration over recording just one catch on three targets for a total of 10 yards. The two-time Pro Bowler explained he needed to review the tape to evaluate the passing game following Hurts’ return from a concussion that sidelined the quarterback for most of the final three games of the regular season. While the offense showed promise at times, Brown acknowledged there was room for improvement.

In December, veteran defensive end Brandon Graham raised eyebrows by commenting on the relationship between Hurts and Brown. However, after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 15, both clarified that the speculation was exaggerated and emphasized their long-standing friendship.

Brown, a former standout with the Tennessee Titans before joining the Eagles in 2022, has been managing a persistent knee injury in recent weeks but returned to practice on Friday after missing Thursday’s session. He expressed a desire to be available for his teammates on Sunday and feels he is making progress with his recovery.

“In the pursuit of extraordinary performance, it’s easy to succumb to anxiety or pressure, as much lies beyond your control,” Murphy writes in “Inner Excellence.”

Perhaps that’s why Brown highlighted this key point.