The Kansas City Chiefs corner who’ll likely be tasked with covering A.J Brown also likes to read, but don’t expect him to have a book on the sideline during Super Bowl LIX (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
Trent McDuffie shared at Opening Night that he brought a book written by motivational speaker and retired Navy SEAL David Goggins, telling reporters that he’s seeking some book recommendations. However, he won’t have Goggins’ book, or any book, ready to read during Sunday’s game.
“Nah, we focused on ball,” McDuffie said when asked if he’d have any books with him during Sunday’s game.
Of course, Brown made headlines earlier in the postseason when he was seen reading on the sideline in between drives during the Eagles’ wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers. Brown only had one catch on three targets for 10 yards in that game before being seen reading a self-help book titled “Inner Excellence” during the fourth quarter.
Brown’s decision to read during the game was seen as a bit unusual, with FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady even quipping that he hadn’t seen that before. The Eagles star receiver acknowledged on Monday that reading on the sideline is definitely out of the ordinary, but claimed that it also works for him.
“I really don’t know, I just brought the book out in, I think the Cleveland week, and I brought it out,” Brown said. “That was my first game back and I was just trying to stay locked in and let the game come to me. As receivers, we want the ball. We want to do this, we want to do that.
“But there’s only so much I can control. I was just trying to stay locked in. I know it’s unorthodox, you don’t see stuff like that. It don’t matter. I don’t really care how people perceive it.”
Brown had a pretty strong showing in that Browns game, recording six receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in a 20-16 win. He followed that up with a pair of strong 80-plus-yard performances, seemingly reinforcing the superstition.
Trent McDuffie takes shot at A.J. Brown, will not read on sidelines: ‘We focused on ball’
After some up-and-down weeks in the middle of the regular season, Brown closed out the regular season strong, recording a touchdown in each of his final three games. But he followed his quiet showing in the wild-card win with another low-production performance in the Eagles’ divisional-round win over the Los Angeles Rams, recording just two receptions for 14 yards.
But Brown broke out again in the Eagles’ NFC Championship Game victory over the Washington Commanders, recording six receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. That performance came a week after Brown’s viral sideline moment helped “Inner Excellence,” written by Jim Murphy, become the top-selling book on Amazon.
Eagles’ A.J. Brown reads book on sideline during Wild Card game vs. Packers
Brown might need whatever help he can get if McDuffie is covering him in Sunday’s game. The third-year corner is widely regarded as one of the best in the league after earning another All-Pro nod this season. He recorded 59 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions in the regular season. He also helped the Chiefs slow down Brown the last time the two teams met, with the star receiver only recording one reception for 8 yards in an Eagles win during the 2023 regular season.
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