A former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver has raised concerns about the offensive unit of the Philadelphia Eagles under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, after trading WR A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots during the offseason. 

Irvin attended the MLB Home Run Derby event in Philadelphia on July 13 as part of coverage for The White House Podcast by Netflix. When asked about his opinion on the present Eagles roster without Brown, Irvin admitted he was worried about the unit.

“Boy, I hope… I'm worried, and I hope my worries are valid if you know what I mean,” Irvin said, per X post by the Philadelphia Inquirer Sports. “Only because it's a new offense. When you're running a new offense, you need that guy that says ‘I don't know if this play is going to work, but I can go to him if it breaks down.”

According to the X post of Philadelphia Inquirer Sports, Irvin revealed that in the new offensive system, there needs to be a safety-valve player like A.J. Brown, whom the unit can always trust when a play breaks down.

Irvin believes that there is a lack of proven depth in the WR room without Brown.

Even in their divisional clashes against the Dallas Cowboys, A.J Brown would regularly contribute with four receiving touchdowns and 593 receiving yards against the divisional rivals. Now though, the WR1 spot will see a new face.

DeVonta Smith is expected to start at WR1, with his route-running precision as a strength, proving him to be a seamless fit in Mannion's scheme.

Rookie Makai Lemon is set to compete for the WR2 spot with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and Dontayvion Wicks, with Wicks expected to be the frontrunner, while Lemon recovers from his hamstring injury.

The Eagles further added Elijah Moore, who is projected to be WR3, as Johnny Wilson and Darius Cooper compete for the roster spots behind them.

With these additions, ESPN's Bill Barnwell is fairly confident in the receiving corps, who were ranked ninth among all 32 teams by him in his ESPN report.

While the Eagles remain confident in their revamped offensive unit, Irvin believes replacing a player like Brown won't be easy. Irvin also called out the criticism surrounding Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, despite his consistent success.

Michael Irvin takes issue with the Eagles' approach to Jalen Hurts

During the same Home Run Derby event in Philadelphia on July 13, according to an X post of Philadelphia Inquirer Sports, Irvin said that he was "shocked" with the way Jalen Hurts was treated despite leading the Eagles to two Super Bowl appearances.

"What I'm shocked about is the treatment of Jalen Hurts," Irvin said, per X post of Philadelphia Inquirer Sports. "Why is that like this? Why are you guys trying to get rid of Jalen Hurts already? Blows my mind."

Urts has led the Eagles to five playoff appearances in his six-year NFL career and secured three division titles. He holds one Super Bowl LIX win and was named the Super Bowl MVP in 2024 for his performance.

Irvin believes that Hurts' resume speaks for itself, making the criticism surrounding the three-time Pro Bowler difficult for him to understand.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote