The Philadelphia Eagles enter Week 1 with a rivalry matchup against the Dallas Cowboys to open the 2025 NFL season on Thursday Night Football, and a big question has been Eagles WR A.J. Brown’s health.
The Pro Bowl wideout has been dealing with a hamstring injury which kept him off the field at the end of training camp and throughout the preseason. But when asked directly by Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer if he’d be ready for Thursday Night Football, Brown didn’t hesitate: “Hell yeah.”
All indications are Brown will be good to go for the season opener on Thursday night vs. the Cowboys, and he is not expectedt to be limited.
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Will Eagles WR A.J. Brown Play in Week 1?
Brown looks to be a full go for Week 1, as he was removed from the injury report on Monday after working through a mild hamstring injury. Dr. Deepak Chona says the hamstring injury "not overly concerning." That bodes well for the rest of his season.
Brown missed three games last season with a similar hamstring issue, but he still managed to top 1,000 receiving yards for the third straight year. This summer, the Eagles played it safe, sitting him out of preseason action and limiting his reps in August to make sure he’d be ready for the regular season. That patience looks like it will pay off.
The 28-year-old was back practicing last week, and both Brown and head coach Nick Sirianni have expressed confidence in his status for Thursday night’s showdown with Dallas.
The Eagles know how important he is to their offense — his physical presence on the outside forces defenses to account for him, opening up the field for DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley in the run game.
Barring a late setback, all signs point to Brown being on the field against the Cowboys for the season opener of the 2025-26 NFL season on Thursday.
A.J. Brown Fantasy Football Outlook
Even with the injury concerns, Brown enters 2025 as a locked-in WR1 for fantasy managers. He put up 67 catches for 1,079 yards and 7 TDs in just 13 games last season, averaging 83 yards per game. That kind of production keeps his ceiling among the league’s elite fantasy wideouts, even if the Eagles manage his snap count early.
The hamstring issue is something fantasy players should monitor throughout the season, but Brown has shown the ability to play through lingering ailments before.
With Hurts feeding him targets — 8.08 par game last year, Brown's usage should stay high. In most formats, Brown is a set-and-forget starter — even in a tough Week 1 divisional matchup.
A.J. Brown's season-long projections on the PrizePicks NFLSZN game are set at 80.5 receptions, 1,124.5 receiving yards, 3.5 100+ yard games, and 7 TDs.
A.J. Brown Projections vs. Cowboys, Week 1
A.J. Brown’s projections are live on PrizePicks for NFL Week 1 on Thursday Night Football. You can win real money by picking More or Less on Brown's projections on PrizePicks — it's the simplest way to play get real money action on every NFL game.
- 5 Receptions
- 69.5 Receiving Yards
- 14 Fantasy Score
- 25.5 Longest Reception
- 7 Targets
- 25.5 Receiving Yards in First 2 Receptions
Brown has averaged 15.6 yards per catch over his three seasons, and his ability to win on deep balls make him an intriguing option on Thursday night. If QB Jalen Hurts has time the look downfield with Micah Parsons not longer around, look for Brown to test the Cowboys’ secondary early and often.
Even if the Eagles limit his reps slightly, he doesn’t need 10 targets to hit his numbers; Brown had at long catch of at least 40 yards in five games last year. Fantasy players should treat Brown as a high-floor, high-ceiling option in Week 1.
