Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, A.J. Brown get into heated shouting match on sideline during wild-card loss to 49ers
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and wide receiver A.J. Brown had to be separated after a brief incident on the sidelines on Sunday afternoon. (AP/Chris Szagola)ASSOCIATED PRESSNick Sirianni and A.J. Brown got into it on the sideline Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles head coach sprinted down the sideline at Lincoln Financial Field to confront his star wide receiver in the first half of their 23-19 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. Sirianni screamed at Brown, appearing to try and get him off the field. Brown then got into Sirianni's face to respond.
Others eventually had to step in and pull him back.
Another look at the exchange between AJ Brown and HC Nick Sirianni on the sideline. pic.twitter.com/Syn0hr0MFK
- FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 11, 2026
Fox analyst Tom Brady discussed the moment in real time, and insisted that Brown and Sirianni have a great relationship."
Emotions, they run high - especially in the playoffs," Sirianni told Fox Sports' Erin Andrews at halftime. Of course, after this game, we'll go back to loving each other. But look, this is just the way it is. We're just fine, thanks."
It's unclear what exactly the two were arguing about, but the quick incident came after Brown missed a pair of deep catches on the Eagles' final drive of the first half. Brown entered the locker room with three catches for 25 yards at the break.
The altercation was nearly exactly a year after Brown was spotted reading from a book - Inner Excellence" by Jim Murphy - during a playoff game last season.
AJ Brown is reading a book on the sideline?
- FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 13, 2025
FOX pic.twitter.com/jQGv8smD9N
Brown had another critical drop late in the fourth quarter on Sunday afternoon, too, though this one was significantly worse than the two he had in the second quarter. Brown couldn't complete a catch on third down while the Eagles were trailing despite the ball hitting him in the hands with plenty of space around him. The Eagles ended up converting on fourth down, so the drop didn't end the drive there.
Nick Sirianni's gonna show up at AJ Brown's house tomorrow with a flamethrower pic.twitter.com/4CyxzI1wJO
- Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) January 12, 2026
Brown had 1,003 receiving yards this season, his seventh in the league, in what was his fourth straight campaign with at least 1,000 yards. He had seven touchdowns on 78 catches, too, and helped the Eagles win the NFC East for a second straight season after their Super Bowl run last year.
Brown and the Eagles entered halftime with a 13-10 lead over the 49ers.But the 49ers put up 13 points in the fourth quarter alone to take the lead, and then came up with a huge stop on fourth down a few plays after Brown's last drop to seal the four-point upset win. That officially eliminated the defending Super Bowl champions from the playoffs.
Jalen Hurts went 20-of-35 for 168 yards with a touchdown for the Eagles. Saquon Barkley had 106 yards on 26 carries, and DeVonta Smith had 70 yards on eight catches. Brown did not have a catch in the second half.
Brock Purdy went 18-of-31 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the win for San Francisco. Christian McCaffrey had 48 yards on 15 carries, and Demarcus Robinson had 111 yards and a score on six catches.