Brandon Brooks (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The veteran guard confirmed reports of his injury that broke earlier Monday.
The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the NFL’s brightest teams under Doug Pederson, and have a Super Bowl LII championship to show for it. Their road to success is no, secret, either — they can get after opposing quarterbacks and form a wall in front of their own. They have enviable talent in both trenches, with guard Brandon Brooks being among the most consistent of all.
Unfortunately, there will be no football for the big operator in 2020. He confirmed Monday night that he suffered a torn left Achilles tendon.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive guard Brandon Brooks is out for the 2020 season with a torn Achilles
The head fairly spins trying to pick an offensive line MVP for the Eagles over the last few years, and while Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce are big-time performers, Brooks hasn’t missed a start since 2016, making three straight Pro Bowls along the way. He played 90% of offensive snaps last season, playing a key role in clearing paths for rookie Miles Sanders and the unsung Boston Scott over the course of the 2019 campaign. He might just be the finest guard in the game, all things considered.
Now, he faces an uncertain future. He’s on the wrong side of age 30, and it must be noted that this isn’t his first Achilles injury — he tore his right Achilles in the 2018 playoffs.
If there’s anything positive that Eagles fans can take away from this unfortunate news, it’s the bullish attitude Brooks is carrying with him into what will surely be an arduous rehabilitation process. There’s no like-for-like replacement for such a bright and assertive interior lineman — unless Howie Roseman can find a way to splash the cash for Larry Warford — but you can bet that this offense not be lacking for underdog motivation when they trot out for Week 1 without one of their preeminent bruisers.