Patriots Rumors: Concerning New Details On Trent Brown’s Professionalism
As recently as two weeks ago, Trent Brown was a bright spot for the Patriots. The veteran tackle was playing well for New England while showing impressive toughness.
However, the narrative is starting to change.
Brown didn’t play last weekend due to knee and ankle injuries, which was understandable. And he was ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany, an outcome that again made sense given the injuries.
But Bill Belichick on Friday said Brown didn’t make the trip to Germany due to “both” injuries and personal reasons. So, what’s the deal?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Sunday discussed Brown’s situation at length. Breer said he didn’t want to speculate on Brown’s personal issues, as they could be serious, but offered concerning details on how the 30-year-old has conducted himself this season.
“There’s a legitimate injury, is what it is,” Breer said. “And talking to people there, I wasn’t able to get quite to the personal issue, whatever that is going on. … But it’s not just the ankle. There’s also a pre-existing knee condition there. And this, of course, creates bigger concerns going forward because the guy’s in his ninth year. He’s obviously an enormous player — like a big, big, big man.
“The other thing here that shouldn’t be ignored: I’m still told he’s habitually late to things. This is something that’s sort of what you sign up for when you bring him back. Like, it’s who he was in San Francisco. It’s who he was even in New England (in 2018). … It’s who he was out in Oakland. And it’s who he is again. So, he is habitually late to things. And that’s been a problem over the course of his career, and that problem hasn’t gone away this year.”
Brown’s status obviously will be worth monitoring in the days and weeks ahead. The Patriots will enjoy their bye next week, which should give Brown more time to rest and heal up.
That said, given Brown’s history, we probably can’t rule out the possibility of him checking out with free agency looming this offseason.