On Monday June 15th, Eagles Guard Brandon Brooks announced on Twitter that he tore his Achilles. This is a devastating blow to both Brooks and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Anytime a team loses a starter, it has a major effect on the team’s season. Yet losing a Pro Bowl player and one who has been dominant over the past couple seasons is an even bigger blow. Yet Brandon Brooks has shown that he is able to recover from this injury. Brooks tore his other Achilles in the Eagles divisional round loss against the New Orleans Saints in 2019. He came back and played at an elite level in all 16 games the very next season. The good news is that Brooks has recovered from this injury before, the bad news is that he has suffered this injury before. Dan Marino was not the same after he tore his Achilles, we have no clue how Kevin Durant will comeback from tearing his Achilles. The major difference is that Marino did not and Durant does not weigh 335 pounds, that’s just simply because of their positions in their respective sports. I am hoping and rooting for Brooks to make a full recovery, I’m just unsure how likely it is.
The Eagles have a few options when it comes to finding a replacement for Brooks this year, the first of which is in-house. Matt Pryor was selected in the 6th round by the Eagles in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s familiar with the system and played in place of Brooks in the Eagles’ regular season game against the Seahawks. Brooks started for most of the first quarter, but had to come out due to anxiety. Another option is Jack Driscoll who the Eagles selected in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Originally a tackle but at 6’5 and 306 pounds he could play guard, also no chance he starts over Lane Johnson. It wouldn’t be crazy to see Driscoll step up and replace Brandon Brooks for the 2020 NFL Season.
