Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown went viral for cracking open a book right on the bench during his team's Wild Card matchup with the Packers on Sunday ... but he says it's actually nothing new -- 'cause reading gives him a sense of peace mid-game.
Clips of Brown's impromptu book club session quickly made rounds on social media ... with some folks assuming having his nose deep in "Inner Excellence" by Jim Murphy was a sign of rebellion amid his quiet day on the field.