After Eagles All-Pro guard Brandon Brooks suffered a torn Achilles earlier this offseason, it seemed like his season was going to be over before it even started. The average recovery time for a torn Achilles is about nine months in the NFL; with Brooks suffering the injury in mid-June, many suspected he wouldn’t be ready to go until well after the 2020 season ends.
But as we all know, Brooks is a freak of nature, and this won’t be his first time recovering from a torn Achilles. The team released some information on Tuesday that may indicate Brooks suiting up and taking the field this season.
Placing Brooks on the Active/PUP list means he’s eligible to return to action after week 6 this year, just about five months after tearing his Achilles. That feels nearly impossible, even for someone like Brooks, who had arguably his best season as a pro in 2019 coming off a torn Achilles in the divisional round of the playoffs the season prior.
Everyone recovers at a different pace in the NFL, so who knows how likely Brooks playing this year truly is. He was video taped doing mixed martial arts not even a week after tearing his Achilles, and from some of his recent pictures on Instagram, the injury doesn’t seem to be taking away from his workout regiment.
Obviously having Brooks at full strength would benefit the Eagles greatly, but is it really worth rushing Brooks back mid-season? He’ll be 31 heading into the year and he’s suffered a handful of bad injuries over the years. I don’t think anyone would want him out there if the chance of re-injury is even slightly there.
And while Brooks is one of the best at his position in the NFL, the Eagles did just sign Jason Peters to step in and play guard while Brooks is sidelined. They also have a handful of younger guys like Matt Pryor and Jack Driscoll who will provide depth behind Peters.
Believe me, I’d love to see Brooks out there this season, I just don’t want to risk his long-term health during a season in which the threat of COVID-19 will be constantly looming. It’s hard to even say if this season will be played in full at this time.
Nevertheless, this move by the Eagles keeps the door open for a Brooks return this season. Let’s just hope this medical staff does their due diligence before thrusting him back into action.