We’re at one of the rare lulls in the early stages of the NFL offseason. The first and second waves of free agency have largely passed and there are still a few weeks before the 2022 NFL Draft arrives.
Thankfully, there are players like A.J. Brown around to pique the interest of fans by crafting cryptic tweets.
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The Titans’ wide-out took to Twitter on Sunday to share a message with his followers. He certainly seemed peeved about something.
Tired of all this just like y’all
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) April 3, 2022
What could Brown be talking about? Anything, really, but it’s worth noting that Brown’s name was being bandied about in trade rumors on Sunday. The rumors appeared to stem from an ESPN article that stated the Jets could keep an eye on Brown and DK Metcalf if their respective teams can’t work out long-term extensions with the duo of former Ole Miss receivers.
As such, it seems possible — if not likely — that Brown is talking about his future. He may be tired of the questions facing him as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
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It’s also notable that this isn’t Brown’s first cryptic tweet over the last couple of weeks. One came on Monday, March 28, when he bemoaned a weekly event that was causing him stress.
Happens every week but it never gets any easier
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 28, 2022
That message could mean anything. It could even be about falling asleep after putting his kid down for a nap; that’s what Brown tweeted about the day before he sent that message.
That said, Brown had been mentioned as a potential Jets target in an ESPN article that dropped on Sunday, March 27. So, he may have once again been mentioning those rumors.
It is, of course, worth asking what exactly fueled speculation about Brown’s future. May it have been the following tweet from March 26? It’s possible.
It’s out of my hands. God I trust you!
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 26, 2022
Could Brown be talking about his lack of control over his future in Tennessee? Absolutely. He could even be hinting that negotiations for a contract extension aren’t going as he hoped. That’s what numerous fans of the Jets, among other teams, were hoping for in his mentions.
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But again, it’s entirely possible that Brown could be talking about something else. The previous day he had tweeted at former Titans receiver Derrick Mason in defense of quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
I’m not from this weird planet. I was taught to show Love to our love ones and support them and that’s all I was doing. I took it down because of the slander it was bringing to one of my teammates. You have a good day sir .
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 25, 2022
So, maybe Brown was just saying he had no control over people’s opinions of Tannehill. Or maybe he ate Chipotle and is hoping that he won’t get food poisoning from it this time. We just don’t know.
UPDATE: On April 18, Brown took to the tweet machine again with a pair of equally cryptic tweets, presumably still revolving around his contract situation with Tennessee:
I’m a diva and a bad teammate all of sudden, lol ok. Do what you have to do then and so will I
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) April 18, 2022
They switch up quick 😮💨
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) April 18, 2022
Also, Brown deleted the “Tennessee” from his bio, presumably espousing some dissatisfaction with the team.
Brown did not attend the Titans’ voluntary workouts Monday.
The beauty of Brown’s tweets is that they will inspire the imagination of NFL fans everywhere who are hoping that the top-tier wideout will become available. However, there’s nothing to definitively suggest that Brown will be traded. In fact, Titans general manager Jon Robinson was adamant that Tennessee wants to keep Brown, as he relayed to reporters on March 27.
“A.J. is an important part of what we do,” Robinson said, per the Titans’ official website. “He’s a great teammate, he works hard, he’s about what we’re about. A.J. is a Titan and we want to keep A.J. a Titan. And that’s part of our goal this offseason, or whenever that manifests itself, to come to an agreement to keep him around.”
As such, these cryptic messages could prove meaningless. Still, if the Tyreek Hill trade taught us anything, it’s that players aren’t shy about posting vague hints about their future on social media. So, it’s worth paying attention to Brown as he tries to hash out an extension with the Titans.