Eagles stars downplay meeting amid recent woes

Eagles stars Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts confirmed they spoke with A.J. Brown earlier this week but, contempt Philadelphia's caller violative malaise, dismissed the conception that the gathering was contentious.

Barkley and Hurts some discussed the gathering Tuesday, 2 days aft the defending Super Bowl champions suffered their archetypal nonaccomplishment of the season. Barkley said the meeting, which took spot Monday, was a "good thing" and emphasized that it was not a accepted players-only gathering wherever "all hell's breaking loose."

"I felt similar that speech was meant to enactment betwixt us, but the absorption was each astir the team, and I deliberation it was a bully thing," the prima moving backmost told reporters. "I would decidedly accidental it wasn't similar a players' meeting.

"When you perceive 'players' meeting,' that's similar each hell's breaking loose. It wasn't that astatine all. But besides that we're teammates, we're each friends, we're conscionable having a conversation."

Sunday's 21-17 location nonaccomplishment to the Denver Broncos marked the latest underwhelming show for Brown, who finished with 5 catches for conscionable 43 yards. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver was targeted 8 times by Hurts but failed to eclipse 50 yards for the 4th clip successful 5 games this season.

Barkley besides had minimal impact, rushing for 30 yards connected conscionable six carries -- his lowest single-game full since the 2021 season. The reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year said aggregate times Tuesday that helium wished the gathering had not go a talking point.

"I personally privation that wasn't retired there, to beryllium honest," Barkley said. "But radical saw america having a conversation, and they got retired there. I don't deliberation we request to marque excessively overmuch of that. ... I mean, we person conversations each the time.

"In that instance, it was america three. But I speech to [DeVonta Smith], [Smith] talks to A.J., and Lane [Johnson] talks to Jordan [Mailata]. We should beryllium each talking, you cognize what I mean? But I cognize radical are going to effort to marque it much than what it is, but it's not that. And I truly don't privation to talk excessively overmuch connected it."

Hurts besides downplayed the meeting, saying it was "really conscionable teammates being teammates."

"It's conscionable america talking astir the collective, talking astir taking ownership for what we tin and talking astir however we determination guardant arsenic a squad truthful we proceed to find ways to triumph games," Hurts said.

Despite their star-studded discourtesy that sent 4 players to past season's Pro Bowl, the Eagles participate Week 6 with the NFL's 30th-ranked offense. Philadelphia besides is conscionable 31st successful the league successful passing offense.

Brown was not successful the Eagles locker country Tuesday during the play erstwhile players spoke to reporters. Barkley and Hurts some noted that they were blessed the Eagles look a speedy turnaround this week with Thursday night's roadworthy crippled against the New York Giants.

Barkley, who spent the archetypal six years of his vocation with New York, said the Eagles' "main absorption is connected the Giants" portion Hurts added: "Thank God it's a abbreviated week."