Late in last Saturday’s loss to the Dolphins, Trent Brown injured his knee. It was not immediately known because Brown didn’t miss any snaps. He appears to have suffered the injury at the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter, but the play in which he was out there was a penalty, and he returned for the next play, so officially he played every snap.
Even though Brown didn’t seem injured on the final four plays, his injury was apparently serious enough to have him miss practice all week and be out for the season finale in Denver. Sam Young will once again replace him at right tackle.
So, officially, Brown appeared in just five games this season, with one of those being the season opener in which he played just three snaps before leaving with a calf injury. The team would end up playing reserve guard Denzelle Good most of the game due to an injury to Young shortly after Brown left.
Brown would head to injured reserve and return in week five against the Chiefs. Then a week later he would test positive for COVID-19 and head back on the shelf. He would end up sending the entire starting offensive line to the reserve/COVID-19 list along with starting safety Johnathan Abram due to close contact without masks.
The 380-pounder had a rough go of it with the virus and all told would end up missing two months even after he no longer had it. Having him lost for 12 games this season is not at all what his head coach was hoping for.
“It’s disappointing, no doubt. It’s very disappointing,” Jon Gruden said of Brown missing so much time this season. “We brought him in here to be the Lebron James of right tackles. He’s had a lot of adversity. He’s had injuries, a number of injuries. It’s hurt our football team no doubt. But that’s part of this business.”
Gruden and the Raiders paid Brown handsomely to play right tackle for them, making him the highest paid offensive linemen in NFL history.
His first season with the Raiders, Brown missed five games. Which means over two seasons with the team, Brown has played a total of 16 games. He was paid $36.75 million for what amounts to one full season.
What that means for Brown’s future with the Raiders is hard to say. He’s still just 27 years of age, and Gruden at least sounds like he plans on having Brown back next season.
“We’ll hope to get Trent back and ready to roll for next season,” Gruden continued. “He’s a great player. He’s a great football player, he’s just got to get healthy and stay healthy.”
For what it’s worth, Brown is due $14 million next season with no dead money should the Raiders release or trade him.
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