The Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack is already much thinner after the offseason loss of A.J. Brown, and now, it might be in more trouble heading into Week 3.
Wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown appeared on the injury report Friday for the first time and missed practice with an ankle issue as the Eagles prepared for Monday night against the Chicago Bears, which came as a surprise in Philadelphia.
The timing is notable because Brown has barely been involved on offense.
He was active in Week 1 against Washington and never saw an offensive snap. In the heat of a Week 2 win over Tennessee, he finally got on the field, but only as a runner, finishing with two carries for 12 yards. Through two games, he still has no targets and no receptions after signing a one-year free-agent contract this offseason.
That limited usage is easier to understand when the rest of the room is considered.
DeVonta Smith remains the featured option. The Eagles also acquired Dontayvion Wicks from Green Bay and gave him a one-year extension, then used a first-round pick on USC receiver Makai Lemon.
What looked like a chance for Brown to settle in as a third wideout became a crowded competition almost immediately.
Brown arrived with a first-round pedigree. Baltimore selected him 25th overall in 2019. He later forced a trade to Arizona in 2022 and spent the past two seasons with Kansas City, where he posted 49 catches for 587 yards and five touchdowns last year.
The Eagles brought him in on a short deal that reports placed in the $5 million range, with some accounts listing a maximum value closer to $6.5 million. The bet was that his speed and experience would give first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion another way to stress defenses.
Instead, the early weeks have been about finding any consistent role at all.
The two rushing attempts against the Titans suggested the staff was willing to invent work for him rather than force him into a passing tree already occupied by Smith, Wicks, and a high-drafted rookie.
An ankle injury, even if it proves minor, only adds another variable to a situation that has already drifted from the original plan.
Monday night in Chicago will show whether Brown is available and whether Philadelphia still sees a path to using him. For now, the surprise is less the injury itself than how little football he has played before it showed up on the report.
A veteran signed to complement a championship-caliber offense is still waiting for his first target, and the depth chart around him keeps getting thicker.
