While most players will head into their offseason looking for a mental and physical break from the game they love to play, Sydney Brown won’t do anything but rehab.
Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata, for example, said he would take a “proper honeymoon” with his wife, which is still in the planning stages as to where that will be after he got married earlier this year. Left guard Landon Dickerson, who had Mailata stand as best man at his wedding last spring, said he will spend time with his wife and travel.
Eventually, all roads will lead back to preparing for 2024, probably sooner rather than later.
Brown, however, is headed for surgery after this weekend’s divisional round of the playoffs to repair an ACL tear suffered on the third play of the regular-season finale.
The rookie safety was able to walk off the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., field after the injury, but when he got to the sideline, he knew something was drastically wrong.
“I was like, oh (bleep)t, it feels a little unstable,” said Brown during the team's breakup day on Wednesday. “I went to take a step and was like, man, something doesn’t feel right. I knew in the moment but didn’t really accept it until I was in the tent and I guess right then and there I had a lot of emotions.”
Brown went into the locker room, dug his cell phone out of his locker, and immediately called his twin brother, Chase Brown, a rookie running back with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He’s my go-to guy to get something off my chest,” said Brown. “We both shared a few tears, not long, but after that, I was like, 'Man, I’ll have another opportunity to prove myself again. You don’t get to do that too many times.'
“It was tough. We shared that moment it was like, man it sucks, it sucks and you’re going back and forth.”
Later, Chase sent his brother a clip from the movie, ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ with a scene showing Batman, portrayed by Christin Bale, emerging from a deep, dark pit crammed with prisoners.
“It was one of those moments like, ‘Yeah, that’s what the grind’s going to be, that’s exactly what it’s going to be like, and when you reach it, it’s going to be quite satisfying,’” he said.
“There’s not a lot of people who could get out of that pit is really what you make of it. From the work, you’re going to get out of there faster than anybody could. It’s all about what I do now. I could sit and worry on it, or I could act. I’m absolutely going to dominate this process. I have no worries in that. I’m going to attack it and do everything that will lead me back better.”
Brown said the rehab timeline is six to nine months. He’s shooting to be back at some point in training camp or by Week 1 at the latest.
“I’ve already counted down the weeks and the potential when I can be back,” he said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to get back…the fact that I get to do it this offseason will show what I’m made of and how I can persevere through this. This will be nothing. I’m going to kick this thing.”
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