Right tackle Trent Brown played played through a lot of injuries this season. When a couple leg injuries caused him to miss the team’s week seven game in Green Bay, it was David Sharpe who stepped in for him for that game. Ultimately it was a pectoral injury knocked him out for the season and this time it was Brandon Parker who was given the start.
Parker started the past three games in place of Brown and has had a rough go of it each time. Sunday, he got the start and 20 snaps into the game, he was benched in favor of David Sharpe. It’s now Sharpe’s job to lose. As it probably should have been all along.
“Brandon Parker struggled and we made a change and right now that ball’s in Sharpe’s corner,” Gruden said Monday. “We plan on starting Sharpe, he deserves it. He did some good things as the game unfolded.”
Sharpe would play 49 snaps in the game, some at tight end in jumbo packages early on and then at right tackle the rest of the way. The former fourth round pick has proven to be the better option to replace Brown. They have given Parker ample opportunities to show he has improved, but they can’t afford to take that risk again with the playoffs potentially in the balance.