IN PHOTOS: Eagles star A.J. Brown jets off to Italy for 26th birthday

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has a lot of miles left in his football tank. But before looking to the 2023 NFL season, he celebrated his 26th birthday in Italy.

The two-time Pro Bowler was accompanied by his partner, Kelsey Riley, as shown by Brown’s Instagram account photos.

He captioned the post:

“Italy owes me nothing! Happy birthday to me!”

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown celebrated his 26th birthday in Italy. (Image credit: 1k_alwaysopen on Instagram)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown celebrated his 26th birthday in Italy. (Image credit: 1k_alwaysopen on Instagram)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown celebrated his 26th birthday in Italy. (Image credit: 1k_alwaysopen on Instagram)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown celebrated his 26th birthday in Italy. (Image credit: 1k_alwaysopen on Instagram)

Riley also posted a photo on her Instagram account with the caption:

"Happy Birthday to the man God made perfectly for me 🤍 . My man , my protector, my best friend, my heart, the loml. You are everything to me . I thank God everyday for you. Ti Amo bellisimo😘"

A.J. Brown has several reasons to celebrate. While the Eagles narrowly lost Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs, they have become a legitimate contender for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

He had a solid game against the Chiefs, tallying six receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Four of his catches were for first downs.

The second-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft had five 100-yard games last year. He had a season-high 181 yards last January 18 against the Chicago Bears.

However, his best overall performance came in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming off their bye, he shredded the Steelers’ defense with 156 yards and three touchdowns.

Those performances helped establish Brown as one of the game’s best receivers. He finished the 2022 regular season with a career-high 1,496 yards last season. The former Ole Miss standout also tied his career best with 11 receiving touchdowns.

Those numbers earned A.J. Brown his first All-Pro (second-team) selection. He also received the second Pro Bowl distinction in four NFL seasons.

With Brown on the roster, the Eagles ranked ninth in receiving yards (241.5) and third in points (28.1) per game last season.

Brown’s excellence also elevated Jalen Hurts’ game, earning the quarterback a five-year, $255 million contract extension.

A.J. Brown is a product of Howie Roseman’s shrewd negotiations

The Tennessee Titans traded Brown to the Eagles during the 2022 draft. In return, Tennessee received Philadelphia’s first-round pick (18th pick), which they used to select Treylon Burks, who played only ten games in his rookie year.

Burks finished the 2022 season with 425 yards and a touchdown.

After trading for A.J. Brown, the Eagles signed him to a four-year, $100 million contract. The deal includes $57.2 million in guaranteed money and a $23.2 million signing bonus.

But Brown isn’t the only impressive catch by Roseman during the 2022 offseason. He also signed Haason Reddick, James Bradberry, and five-time All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The Eagles also drafted Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean last season.

This year, Roseman signed Olamide Zaccheaus and Charleston Rambo to bolster the receiving corps led by A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. They also selected former Georgia defensive stalwarts Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo.