Getty Trent Brown with Trayvon Mullen.
Trent Brown gets a lot of hate from the Las Vegas Raiders fans. From missing as many games as he played during his two years with the team to throwing shade after he was gone, fans just really don’t like him. The Raiders were hoping to keep him this season and restructure his contract. That didn’t happen and he got traded to the New England Patriots.
In hindsight, it’s understandable why he wasn’t willing to help the Raiders out. Heading into a Week 8 game against the Cleveland Browns last season, Brown was set to return from injury. However, he suffered a setback when an IV mishap allowed air to enter his bloodstream, leading him to be hospitalized for three days. Brown has now revealed that he almost went into cardiac arrest and considered quitting football.
“I almost died before we played them last year,” Brown said, via NFL.com. “When I was laid out on the floor, I definitely thought about my kids. I even thought about retiring, honestly. It was that scary. I was about to be done with it. Then after it kind of settled down a bit, I was fine.”
Fortunately, Brown has recovered from the mishap and has gotten over lingering issues.
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Brown Continues to Have Injury Issues
GettyFormer Raiders RT Trent Brown.
When the Raiders signed Brown in 2019, they made him the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL at the time. It was a deal that was questioned considering he had never even made a Pro Bowl before the signing. However, he quickly proved to be worth every penny when he was on the field. A healthy Brown is arguably the best right tackle in the NFL. The problem is that he’s rarely healthy.
He missed 16 games in two years with the Raiders and has missed eight games for the Patriots this season. He’s back on the field now and played last week but it’s difficult to trust him. He’s only played a full season twice in his seven-year career. Brown could have a hard time staying consistently healthy over the rest of his career.
Right Tackle Still an Issue for Raiders
For whatever, right tackle has been an incredibly difficult problem for the Raiders to solve, even for the previous regime. When the team had an elite offensive line in 2016 and 2017, right tackle was the weakest link of the group. Brown was supposed to be the long-term answer but that didn’t work out.
Las Vegas went on to draft Alex Leatherwood in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He lasted four games at right tackle before the team moved him to right guard. Right now, Brandon Parker is starting at the position but he won’t be the future starter. The Raiders found their left tackle of the future in Kolton Miller but right tackle continues to be a question mark. It’s fair to question if the Raiders will be able to find a long-term option in the near future.
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