"WTF" - NFL fans react as A.J. Brown ignites controversy in deleted tweet taking alleged shot at Saquon Barkley

Fans on X have expressed mixed reactions after Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown posted and quickly deleted a tweet. It appeared to aim at teammate Saquon Barkley. The controversial social media exchange occurred on Friday, just weeks after the Eagles' Super Bowl victory.

The incident started when Barkley posted on X about getting into "debates" that ended the same way. He added a photo of the Disney cartoon character Flynn Rider from "Tangled" standing in front of pointed swords along with laughing emojis. Brown then reshared Barkley's tweet with a caption that many interpreted as confrontational.

"Still playing victim I see…start the debate and ask 'why are y'all coming at me'….told you all about that in the plane," Brown tweeted.

Both players were integral to Philadelphia's 2025 Super Bowl win. Barkley rushed for a historic 2,005 yards in the regular season while Brown, despite missing four games with a knee injury, recorded his third consecutive 1,000-yard season.

Fan reactions on X showed divided opinions about the deleted tweet.

"Wtf," a fan said.

"It's nothing, but he knows how people are so he deleted it. Nothing to see here, keep it moving," a fan wrote.

"Aj been wanting out of Philly for a while don't blame him," another fan wrote.

More fan reactions poured in.

"Why delete it? Nothing inappropriate," one fan wrote.

"Seems like a joke," another fan said.

"I believe AJ likes Saquon a lot" a fan commented.

How A.J. Brown stood with Saquon Barkley through Eagles' Super Bowl campaign

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In a report in February from Delaware News Journal's Martin Frank, A.J. Brown sacrificed much to fit the Philadelphia Eagles' ground-based offense constructed around Saquon Barkley. Brown's targets dropped from 9.29 per game in 2023 to 7.46 last season but he publicly embraced the change.

"I love seeing Saquon do his thing," Brown said. "Shoot, I was advocating earlier in the season, as far as running the ball, so he can get us going and open it up for us. To block my guy, see Saquon go for 60, who wouldn't want that?"

Brown's willingness to put team success above personal statistics was highlighted by Philadelphia left tackle Jordan Mailata.

"More close, more special than the last team that went to the Super Bowl," Mailata said.

The Eagles finished the season with a 15-1 record after making Barkley the focal point of their offense. Their partnership proved successful that Philadelphia signed Barkley to a two-year $41.2 million extension on March 5. It made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Both stars are under contract for the foreseeable future — Barkley through 2028 and Brown through 2026.